CINCINNATI — This isn’t the same Julio Teheran that Mets fans remember. When he faces his old team in Atlanta on Monday, it might not even be the same pitcher the Braves remember either.
This version of Teheran has new pitches and a lower arm slot. Recently, he was facing hitters near his offseason home in Miami, one of which was Jean Segura. The infielder was surprised to see new pitches with different movement.
“They said it’s nothing like it was when they faced me before,” Teheran said Friday at Great American Ballpark. “They said it’s new pitches, everything is new. They didn’t know I had that kind of movement on my pitches.”
The Mets made the signing of the veteran right-hander official Friday afternoon before they started a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Right-handed reliever Michael Tonkin was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Teheran is lined up to pitch Monday against his former team at Truist Park in Atlanta, but his Mets debut could come as soon as Friday night. He’ll be in the bullpen for the first game of the series and if he isn’t needed, he’ll throw a bullpen Saturday in anticipation of his Monday start.
The 33-year-old Teheran remade himself after a shoulder injury in 2021. After signing a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers and making the team out of camp, Teheran pitched one game before being shut down for the rest of the season with a shoulder strain.
That’s when he decided to drop his arm and add a cutter.
“Everything changed after 2021,” Teheran said. “After my injury, I felt like I needed to do something. I spent time working on all of my grips and my pitches. I came down to Miami and we changed everything. Last year, when I came back to the majors, that’s when I realized that [hitters] are looking at me different. They’re looking at me like a new pitcher because they don’t really know that I have to have those pitches.”
Teheran was out of the major leagues completely in 2022, making his way back by pitching in the Independent Atlantic League and the Mexican league. He spent spring training with the San Diego Padres last year before opting out of his contract and signing a major league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, going 3-5 with a 4.40 ERA in 14 games (11 starts).
He took a similar route again this year, spending spring training with the Baltimore Orioles before opting out and signing with the Mets. The two parties had discussions about a contract over the winter but at the time, the Mets had a lot of pitching depth and Teheran thought he had a clearer path to a rotation spot in Baltimore.
The Mets’ depth has been somewhat erased with injuries to Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill. A path forward in New York emerged for Teheran after all.
“If something is going to happen, it doesn’t matter, you end up doing it,” he said. “And I’m happy that I’m here now.”
MARTINEZ MAKING HIS WAY
Designated hitter J.D. Martinez is nearing the end of his spring ramp-up, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be heading to the Queen City this weekend. The Mets have him playing the next two days with Low-A St. Lucie, which would make Sunday, the day he’s eligible to be activated, an off day.
However, the team has not ruled out activating him for the Braves series.
“There’s always a possibility,” Mendoza said. “It’s been a pretty quick ramp-up for him. The last thing we want is to rush this guy and then put him in a difficult situation. It’s still fluid.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brandon Nimmo sat out Friday with hamstring tightness. He was able to hit in the cages and test the leg, but he did not have imaging. The Mets don’t view it as something serious.
