JUPITER, Fla. -- He's the top-rated pitching prospect in baseball and could be the ace of the Braves' rotation before long. But on Monday, Julio Teheran was just another talented kid unsure when he was going to show up in a game.
The 20-year-old Colombian made his debut in the seventh inning of a 10-inning, 4-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium.
Teheran struck out the first batter, ex-Brave Joe Thurston. He topped out at 96 mph with his fastball while working a scoreless inning and giving up two singles.
"In the bullpen he could not wait to go out there," bullpen coach Eddie Perez. "He thought he was the second pitcher. I told him, 'No, you're in the seventh or eighth inning.' He said, 'No, I'm ready to go.' This was the first time he's come out of the bullpen, too."
Teheran struck out Thurston with a fastball on the outer edge of the plate. Ozzie Martinez followed with a single to left field. Brett Hayes hit a fielder's choice grounder that could've been a double play if it had been handled cleanly.
Logan Morrison singled through right side of the infield with two outs, and former Phillie Greg Dobbs grounded out to first base to end the inning.
Teheran was glad to get his first game out of the way.
“Very emotional,” he said with Perez translating. “I wanted to do everything good. It’s difficult for me, different because I’ve never come out of the bullpen.”
On the strikeout: “That felt very good. I got relaxed after that.”
Teheran was the last of the Braves' elite pitching prospects to debut this spring, after Randall Delgado, Arodys Vizcaino and rising left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. Delgado had two strikeouts in a perfect ninth inning on Monday in his third appearance.
"You never know how they're going to react," pitching coach Roger McDowell said. "You're hoping that they have success when they go out there, that they're able to throw and command the strike zone. And for the most part, they've all done it."
Freeman has second 3-for-3
Braves rookie Freddie Freeman has played eight games this spring, and already has a pair of 3-for-3 hitting performances.
The big first baseman went 3-for-3 in Monday’s loss against Florida, raising his average to .458 (11-for-24) with three doubles, four RBIs, two walks and four strikeouts.
Freeman has also impressed with his glove.
"I think he's going to be really good over there," said pitcher Tim Hudson, who made his second start and was charged with four hits, one run and two walks in three innings. "Especially once he gets a little more comfortable and starts realizing he belongs up here."
Hudson couldn’t resist a good-natured jab at the 6-foot-4, 242-pound rookie.
“He’s really smooth, which is surprising because he looks real goofy,” Hudson said.
Terry Pendleton, Braves first-base coach and infield instructor, realized during Freeman's September call-up that he was better defensively than some knew.
"Once he gets his footwork, he’ll be fine," he said. "He’s got great hands.”
Versatile Lucas makes impression
The Braves like Ed Lucas' defensive versatility, and if he keeps hitting he could make one of the final roster decisions more difficult. He had a two-out triple in the ninth inning to drive in the tying run.
A former Royals farmhand, Lucas, 28, is batting .438 (7-for-16) with four RBIs. He hit .307 with a career-high 13 homers and a .398 OBP in 99 games at Triple-A Omaha.
He’s serviceable defensively at every infield position and has experience at all three outfield spots, though left field is probably the only one he'd play for the Braves.
Depending on how the roster shakes out, Lucas could compete for a backup job with Diory Hernandez, who is a superior defensive player at second base and shortstop, but doesn't play other positions. Hernandez is 5-for-15 with two doubles and a triple.
Etc.
Matt Young led off the Braves' 10th with a perfect bunt single, and then was thrown out at second on a failed hit-and-run with pinch-hitter Brandon Hicks. "It's one of those situations where maybe during the season, you go [sacrifice bunt]," Gonzalez said. … Jose Ortegano got one out in the 10th and gave up the winning run on two walks and a single.
