After spending almost the entire season on the injured list, right-hander Julio Teheran has been officially shut down for the remainder of the 2021 campaign. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen and other reporters that the decision was made after Teheran “wasn’t himself” during some recent throwing sessions.
Teheran suffered a shoulder strain while warming up for his second start of the season, way back in early April. That shoulder issue simply never got better, as Teheran was also temporarily shut down from throwing in August when he was throwing at an unusually low velocity during a live batting practice session. Barring a reunion on another minor league deal this offseason, Teheran’s tenure in Detroit will be limited to just a single start — a quality outing that saw Teheran allow one run over five innings in a 5-2 victory over the Indians back on April 3.
Ironically, Teheran has been best known for his durability over his 11 MLB seasons, averaging 191 innings per year with the Braves from 2013-19. After struggling through a tough 2020 season with the Angels, Teheran settled for a minor league pact with the Tigers, and he locked in a $3MM guaranteed salary by reaching the big league roster. The Tigers were hoping to add an innings-eating veteran to their young rotation, though their investment in Teheran simply didn’t pan out.
It seems as though Teheran will again have to showcase himself for scouts this winter in order to attract another minors contract, but the larger concern could be Teheran’s overall health, if he is still not able to effectively throw almost five months after his initial injury. The exact nature of Teheran’s shoulder strain isn’t known, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if some type of surgical procedure was required to fully correct the problem.