Julio Teherán returns to Atlanta with one of Braves' fiercest (and saddest) rivals

Tonight marks former starting pitcher Julio Teherán’s second start as an opposing player at Truist Park. It will be his third time overall facing his former team since leaving Atlanta to sign with the Los Angeles Angels after the 2019 season.

Since 2020, Teherán also played for the Detroit Tigers and the Milwaukee Brewers, and now is making his debut with the division rival New York Mets. With the Brewers, Teherán played the Braves twice in the 2023 season, both times losing (4-2 in Milwaukee and 5-11 in Atlanta).

Charlie Morton, who is starting his second game of the regular season, was briefly in the Braves system at the same time as Teherán, pitting these two former teammates, also veterans of the game, facing each other. 

Teherán was a stalwart with the Braves organization. Since his major league debut in 2011, he’s earned two All-Star appearances and was the starting pitcher for the Braves on Opening Day six years in a row. Teherán stuck with the Braves during their rebuilding years (2014-2018).

2014 and 2016 saw his All-Star campaigns. While 2014 wasn’t the best year the Braves had, Teherán had his lowest ERA with the Braves as well as the most strikeouts and the aforementioned All-Star appearance. His last game with Atlanta was the disastrous NLDS Game 5 outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he pitched well despite the overall horrible result of the game. 

Teherán hasn’t had much luck sticking with a team outside of the Braves, whether due to COVID, injuries, or a general decrease in talent. He had a stint with the Angels in 2020, where he started ten games and accumulated an over 10 ERA.

His time with the Tigers was also short-lived, as he only played one game in 2021. 2022 saw him playing in the Mexican league. Attempts to revive his career came to fruition in Milwaukee after briefly playing in San Diego’s minor league system. In Milwaukee, he “went 3-5 with a 4.40 ERA in 14 games." After the Orioles signed him to a minor league contract during spring training, the Mets signed him to a $2.5 million deal to help fill the void of starting pitchers after injuries.

While it is a little sad that he returns to Atlanta with the Mets, his return is bound to bring an air of sentimentality to today’s game, especially for those who remember his time with the Braves.

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