Teheran pitched 5.2 innings Thursday against the Phillies, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three.
Teheran struggled mightily in 2017 when pitching at home and against left-handed batters, both of which garnered a lot of attention throughout the season. Less talked about was the fact that his walk rate was 3.44 BB/9, up from his career rate of 2.59 BB/9. Those struggles continued on Opening Day, as he walked three and surrendered a home run to Cesar Hernandez, a switch-hitter who was batting left-handed. Until there are signs of improvement in his ability to prevent home runs and improve his control, it will be difficult to trust using Teheran consistently.