Brewers: Julio Teheran Is Exactly What The Brewers Desperately Needed

The Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation was in dire straits. They had already lost Aaron Ashby, Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, and then Eric Lauer to injuries. Their rotation depth was getting eaten alive.

The Brewers were down to just four healthy starters; Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, Adrian Houser, and Colin Rea. The latter two were not expected to be in the rotation much this season. It was a desperate situation for a first place team that's built around the strength of their starting rotation.

Conveniently, right around the time Eric Lauer was getting placed on the injured list, Julio Teheran was opting out of his minor league deal with the Padres because they didn't have a spot for him on their roster. The Brewers, in dire need of rotation help, pounced and signed the two-time All Star Teheran to a deal.

A desperate Brewers rotation has gotten everything they could have hoped for and more from the addition of Julio Teheran.

Julio Teheran hadn't pitched in a big league game in two years. He got injured in 2021, spent 2022 in the Mexican League and in independent ball, and had just 36.1 IP in the big leagues since the 2019 season. His results in Triple-A in 2023, a 5.62 ERA in 40 IP, weren't reassuring.

The Brewers could not be happier with how the results have turned out following Teheran's first two turns through the rotation.

Against the Giants, Teheran went five strong innings, scattering four hits and giving up just one earned run.

Teheran followed up that performance with six fabulous innings against the Blue Jays, again scattering four hits with no earned runs.

Through 11 IP as a Brewer, Teheran has a 0.82 ERA.

Teheran has given the Brewers length, eating up innings and tossing gems while he's doing it. He's giving the Brewers a chance to win whenever he's out there. Yes, it's only been two starts, but it's an incredible first impression.

This is exactly what the Brewers needed in their rotation so desperately. They haven't had Brandon Woodruff since early April. They're without Wade Miley, who was having an excellent season. It's too early in the season to find any legitimate trade targets out there. Selling teams aren't going to sell their starting pitchers off quite yet. Finding an impact arm at this juncture in the season is nearly impossible if he wasn't already in your organization. Yet the Brewers found one in Teheran.

While Teheran is not your everyday May free agent pickup as a former two-time All Star, even the most optimistic among the Brewers organization probably didn't expect this. Teheran has a great track record of being a reliable, productive pitcher over several years with the Atlanta Braves, and was the ace of that staff for a while. This talent has always been there, but at 32 years old and just 36.1 IP since 2019, many thought we'd never see Teheran at that level again.

It's early, but Teheran is looking like he's still a diamond that the Brewers found in the rough. So far, Teheran has been exactly what the injured Brewers rotation so desperately needed.