Braves' Teheran to start 5th consecutive Opening Day

Julio Teheran will head to the bump for his fifth straight Opening Day start with the Atlanta Braves, the team announced. Atlanta kicks off the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 29.

Teheran will also be the first pitcher to take the hill for an Opening Day contest at SunTrust Park, the Braves’ new stadium which opened last year. Teheran started the club’s first game at the Cobb County ballpark after Atlanta opened the 2017 season with eight road games.

In 18 career starts against the Phillies, Teheran is 8-6 with a 3.38 ERA over 117 innings.

The Colombian hurler will join Phil Niekro (eight), Greg Maddux (seven), and Rick Mahler (five) as the only pitchers to make at least five Opening Day starts with the Braves.

The 27-year-old right-hander had a disappointing 2017 campaign. After averaging more than 200 innings per season from 2014-16 and appearing in two All-Star Games, Teheran posted a career-worst 4.95 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over 188 ⅓ innings.

Teheran has allowed two runs on 12 hits and four walks while striking out seven over 14 innings of work this spring.

Atlanta should sport a deeper rotation this year after acquiring starters Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The pair of veterans are likely to join sophomore lefty Sean Newcomb and burgeoning right-hander Mike Foltynewicz on the Braves' staff.