Beachy heads Braves' new wave of young starters

ATLANTA — Julio Teheran was not even born in 1990 when Steve Avery joined Tom Glavine and John Smoltz in the Braves rotation. Atlanta, which added Greg Maddux for the 1993 season, won six Cy Young Awards in the decade.

Now Teheran, who just turned 21, is the junior member of a new youth movement in Atlanta.

Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado and Teheran combined to start 50 games as rookies last season. Beachy, who was 7-3 and led the team in strikeouts despite missing a month with an oblique injury, appears set as a 2012 starter.

Minor was 5-3 in 15 starts. Delgado won only one of his seven starts but had a strong 2.83 ERA and allowed only a .220 batting average. Teheran, like Delgado, was 1-1.

Beachy said he hopes the team's young guns, including former Yankees prospect Arodys Vizcaino, can remain together in the organization.

"There were a lot of people calling for big moves to be made last year," Beachy said Thursday, referring to speculation one or more young pitchers might be traded. "Obviously I don't get paid to make decisions like that, but I can't say I'm not happy and pleased to keep all the young arms intact.

"The future could be a lot of fun to be a part of another young wave running through this organization."

The insurance provided by the young pitchers could prove to be important.

Tim Hudson (back surgery), Tommy Hanson (shoulder) and Jair Jurrjens (knee) are coming off injuries.

Hanson and Jurrjens have been throwing in pitching coach Roger McDowell's workouts at Turner Field. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Hudson, who had a herniated disc in his back repaired in November, has been doing only light tosses.

"We'll get a better read in spring training, but we're not going to push him," Gonzalez said of Hudson.

The Braves cleared one spot in the rotation by trading Derek Lowe to Cleveland.

Minor, Delgado and Teheran moved up when Hanson and Jurrjens were on the disabled list during the team's September collapse. Lowe was 0-5 in September as the Braves blew an 8 1/2-game wild-card lead in September.

Beachy, who was 3-0 in August, was 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA in five starts in September. The right-hander said his final month keeps him from viewing his season as a success.