COLIN REA NEWS

Fans five in no-decision Rea didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 13-11 win over the Diamondbacks, giving up one run on five hits while striking out five batters across 4.2 innings.

Impact At 4.2 innings, Friday marks Rea's longest outing of the season, as he continues to re-adjust to life as a starter after opening the year in the bullpen. He carried a shutout into the fifth inning but was pulled shortly after allowing an RBI single to Corbin Carroll -- well before the Diamondbacks' bats erupted for 10 runs in the eighth. With Javier Assad (oblique) nearing a return from the IL, it's unclear if Rea will get another chance to start or return to the bullpen, but his place in the rotation is due to pitch again next Friday against the Phillies.

2 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Kelly homers twice, Tucker hits go ahead shot as Cubs outslug Diamondbacks 13-11

Carson Kelly homered twice, Kyle Tucker hit a go-ahead two-run homer in a six-run eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs outslugged the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11

2 DAYS AGO • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Diamondbacks take road win streak into game against the Cubs

The Arizona Diamondbacks hit the road against the Chicago Cubs trying to prolong a three-game road winning streak

3 DAYS AGO • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fills in admirably against Dodgers Rea took a no-decision Sunday against the Dodgers. He struck out five over 3.2 innings while allowing a run on four hits and one walk.

Impact After not pitching since April 7, Rea was tasked with filling in for Justin Steele (elbow) against the mighty Dodgers. Rea impressed over this 68-pitch outing, throwing 42 strikes and generating nine whiffs. The 34-year-old has pitched to a 1.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 7:1 K:BB across nine innings and should continue to hold a rotation spot as Steele is slated to miss the rest of 2025. Rea currently lines up to make his next start against Arizona at home next weekend.

APRIL 14 • ROTOWIRE

Replacing Steele in rotation Rea will start Sunday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Impact After covering 5.1 scoreless innings across his three relief appearances to begin the season, Rea will pick up his first start of the season Sunday and could be in line for an extended stay in the rotation. Manager Craig Counsell announced Sunday that Justin Steele -- who was placed on the injured list earlier in the week -- would require season-ending elbow surgery, creating a permanent opening in the rotation that will at least temporarily fall to Rea until Javier Assad (oblique) completes his rehab assignment and is activated from the IL. Since Rea maxed out at 65 pitches over his three relief appearances and three Cactus League appearances, he'll likely be slightly limited from a workload perspective Sunday, but he should be capable of handling a traditional starting role in any additional outings that follow.

APRIL 13 • ROTOWIRE

Cubs play the Dodgers after Busch's 4-hit game

The Chicago Cubs play the Los Angeles Dodgers after Michael Busch had four hits on Saturday in a 16-0 win over the Dodgers

APRIL 13 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cubs hand Dodgers worst shutout loss in franchise history with 16-0 thrashing

Ben Brown used a two-pitch mix to throw six scoreless innings, and the Chicago Cubs got 14 runs on 15 hits in the final three innings of a 1...

APRIL 13

Likely to start Sunday Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters Saturday that Rea is "likely" to start in Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Impact Rea served in the Brewers' rotation for the past two seasons, but after signing with the Cubs in January he earned the spot on the 26-man roster as a long reliever. However, with Justin Steele (elbow) joining Javier Assad (oblique) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, the Cubs are turning to Rea to make some starts to give the starting rotation the five-day break it needs. Rea appeared in 32 regular-season games (27 starts) for the Brewers in 2024, posting a 12-6 record with a 4.29 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 135:43 K:BB across 167.2 innings.

APRIL 13 • ROTOWIRE

Likely to start Sunday Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters Saturday that Rea is "likely" to start in Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Impact Rea served in the Brewers' rotation for the past two seasons, but after signing with the Cubs in January, he earned the spot on the 26-man roster as a long reliever. However, with Justin Steele (elbow) joining Javier Assad (oblique) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, the Cubs are turning to Rea to make some starts to give the starting rotation the five-day break it needs. Rea appeared in 32 regular-season games (27 starts) for the Brewers in 2024, posting a 12-6 record with a 4.29 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 135:43 K:BB across 167.2 innings.

APRIL 13 • ROTOWIRE

Steele tosses 7 innings as the Cubs pound the Rangers 7-0 on frigid night

Justin Steele tossed three-hit ball over seven innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Texas Rangers 7-0 on a frigid night

APRIL 8 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago baseball report: Colin Rea steps up for Cubs; White Sox starters put together impressive streak Chicago baseball report: Colin Rea steps up for Cubs; White Sox starters put together impressive streak.

APRIL 3 • PANTAGRAPH.COM

Logs three-inning save Rea earned a save against the Athletics on Monday, pitching three scoreless innings during which he gave up four hits and struck out one batter.

Impact Rea had a 16-3 cushion when he entered in the seventh inning, so he didn't experience much pressure. Still, the veteran righty looked good on the mound, yielding just four singles over four scoreless frames. Rea lost out to Monday's starter Ben Brown for a season-opening spot in Chicago's rotation, and he doesn't figure to see many more save chances since he'll likely work mostly in middle and long relief.

APRIL 1 • ROTOWIRE

Diamondbacks rally for 8 runs in the eighth to beat the Cubs 10-6, split 4-game series

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a game-tying, two-run homer, Josh Naylor had the go-ahead RBI double and the Arizona Diamondbacks used an eight-run eighth inning to rally past the Chicago...

MARCH 30 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ahead of Opening Day, Cubs will be relying early on Brad Keller and Colin Rea PHOENIX — The domestic part of the season for the Chicago Cubs starts Thursday night. They’ll begin the slate already in an 0-2 hole after d...

MARCH 27 • DAILYHERALD.COM

Relief role likely Rea is expected to begin the season working as a reliever after Ben Brown was named the Cubs' No. 5 starter Tuesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Impact Rea appeared to have the upper hand for Chicago's final rotation spot after Jordan Wicks was optioned to Triple-A Iowa last week, but Ben Brown will instead get the nod with Javier Assad (oblique) on the shelf. Rea is likely to receive some starts at some point this season, but his 4.29 ERA and 7.2 K/9 across 167.2 regular-season innings with Milwaukee last year is an indication that he won't have much fantasy relevance.

MARCH 25 • ROTOWIRE

Appears set for No. 5 role With Jordan Wicks optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Rea appears locked into the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation.

Impact Wicks was on Chicago's roster for its two-game set against the Dodgers in Tokyo, but he'll head to Triple-A once the domestic regular season gets underway later this month. That should leave Rea as the fifth starter, at least until Javier Assad (oblique) is able to return. Rea should get a boost in fantasy value as a result, though he's probably best used only in favorable matchups as he doesn't offer overpowering stuff.

MARCH 22 • ROTOWIRE

Craig Counsell May Turn To Familiar Arm For Cubs' Final Rotation Spot Craig Counsell may turn to a familiar arm in Colin Rea to fill the Chicago Cubs’ final rotation spot.

MARCH 3 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Inside track on No. 5 spot? With Javier Assad (oblique) set to miss the beginning of the regular season, Rea may be the next player up to fill the Cubs' final rotation spot, Cole Bradley of MLB.com reports.

Impact Chicago figures to break camp with Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd entrenched in the rotation, and Assad had the early inside track on the No. 5 spot, but he won't be ready for Opening Day due to an oblique strain. The veteran Rea makes for a steady plug-and-play option, though youngsters Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks are also competing for the spot. The latter two players may offer a bit more upside in the long run, but Rea's MLB experience as a starter could give manager Craig Counsell some comfort to start the year. Rea offers some potential streaming appeal for however long he's in Chicago's rotation.

MARCH 3 • ROTOWIRE

Chicago Cubs prospect Cade Horton is back on mound, and Colin Rea is bringing versatility to the pitching staff For the first time in more than nine months, Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Cade Horton faced batters.

FEBRUARY 24 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

Cubs' Colin Rea continuing to evolve after stints in Japan, Milwaukee Rea last played for the Cubs in 2020.

FEBRUARY 23 • SUNTIMES.COM

Could slide into rotation With Javier Assad (oblique) set to potentially miss some time, Rea may end up as the Cubs' fifth starter out of camp, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Impact Assad is dealing with oblique soreness and was scheduled to undergo imaging Monday. It's unclear how long he might be out, but the MRI makes it seem like he could be on the shelf for a bit. If that ends up being the case, Rea would be a natural option to step in. The veteran righty has plenty of starting experience at the MLB level, including 27 starts for the Brewers last year. Rea turned in a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 167.2 innings in 2024.

FEBRUARY 11 • ROTOWIRE

Swing role on tap? Rea could pivot between the rotation and bullpen this season as a swing man for the Cubs, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Impact This basically confirms the assumption when Rea signed with Chicago back on Jan. 10, which was that there isn't a clear spot for him in the rotation. The veteran righty has mostly served as a starter the past few seasons, however, and he made 27 starts for the Brewers last year. Rea's experience gives the Cubs some depth in case another starter stumbles or goes down to injury. For now, Javier Assad figures to slot in as the team's fifth starter, though that could change during camp. If Rea doesn't snag a rotation spot right away, he figures to pitch in long relief or make some spot starts.

FEBRUARY 7 • ROTOWIRE

Hoyer says Cubs are focused on improving bullpen and bench

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer says the team is focused on improving its bullpen and bench at this point in the offseason

JANUARY 18 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cubs finalize $5 million, 1-year contract with right-hander Colin Rea Right-hander Colin Rea and the Chicago Cubs have finalized a $5 million, one-year contract. The 34-year-old Rea has a $4.25 million salary f...

JANUARY 14 • DAILYHERALD.COM

Chicago Cubs finalize $5 million, 1-year contract with right-hander Colin Rea

The Chicago Cubs and right-hander Colin Rea have finalized a $5 million, one-year contract

JANUARY 13 • ASSOCIATED PRESS