Rea is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Giants in Milwaukee.
Given the Brewers' ever-growing list of injuries in the rotation along with the fact that Rea blanked the Astros over 5.1 innings in his return to a starting role earlier this week, it comes as little surprise that he'll receive a second straight turn. With none of the Brewers' injured starting pitchers seemingly close to a return, Rea's spot in the rotation should be safe for a bit, but he's still tough to depend on outside of NL-only leagues or deeper mixed leagues. Through 36.1 innings with the big club in 2023, Rea has gone 1-3 and owns a 4.71 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 29:15 K:BB.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Blanks Astros in win
Rotowire
Rea (1-3) blanked the Astros over 5.1 innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out four to earn his first victory of the year Tuesday.
Rea was thrusted back into the Brewers' rotation following the injury to Eric Lauer (shoulder) after Rea was demoted to Triple-A Nashville following his last start May 14. The 32-year-old turned in his first scoreless outing of the year while only allowing two runners to even reach second base. It was a major bounce-back performance and he'll have some more leash with big club after Lauer's injury. Rea now sports a 4.71 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 29:15 K:BB over 36.1 innings and is tentatively lined up to face the Giants next over the weekend.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Making start Tuesday
Rotowire
Rea will start for the Brewers in Tuesday's game against the Astros, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Rea was recalled from Triple-A Nashville over the weekend and was initially expected to operate as a long-relief option, but he'll be thrust back into the rotation after Eric Lauer (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday. In seven appearances (six starts) with the big club this season, Rea has gone 0-3 with a 5.52 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 25:13 K:BB across 31 frames.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Recalled from Nashville
Rotowire
The Brewers recalled Rea from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.
Rea takes the place of J.B. Bukauskas on the active roster after Bukauskas was placed on the 15-day injured list with a cervical strain. Rea has been mediocre with Milwaukee this year, as seen in a 5.52 ERA over 31 innings in seven appearances (six starts), but he could be in line to make multi-inning appearances for the Brewers in this stint due to the lack of available options for the Milwaukee pitching staff due to injury.
The Brewers optioned Rea to Triple-A Nashville on Monday.
After a brief stint in the bullpen, Rea re-entered the rotation Sunday but was lit up for four earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 3.2 innings. Eric Lauer -- whom Rea replaced in the rotation -- ended up coming on in long relief and captured the win after striking out six while permitting two earned runs over 5.1 innings. With the Brewers opting to send Rea back to the minors, Lauer looks as though he could recapture his spot in the rotation the next time Milwaukee requires a fifth starter.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Surrenders four runs in start
Rotowire
Rea allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 3.2 innings Sunday against the Royals. He did not factor into the decision.
Rea did not turn in an encouraging performance after the team announced he would replace Eric Lauer in the starting rotation, at least for the time being. He allowed runs in each of the first three frames, which was highlighted by a first inning homer from Salvador Perez, and was replaced in the fourth by Lauer after tossing 81 pitches. Lauer went on to pitch the final 16 outs of the game and had a much better showing than Rea. Though nothing has been announced yet, it's possible the Brewers could move Rea back to the bullpen in favor of Lauer or have the two work as a tandem for the foreseeable future. Rea now holds a 5.52 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 25:13 K:BB over 31 innings.
Rea is starting Sunday's game against the Royals, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Eric Lauer was originally listed as the starter for Sunday's contest, but Lauer is moving to the bullpen for the foreseeable future. Rea has a 4.94 ERA and 22:11 K:BB in 27.1 innings over six appearances this season. The Royals represent a good chance to pick up a win, but there's certainly risk using Rea as a fantasy streamer over the weekend, especially with Lauer available as a long-relief option.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Works out of bullpen Wednesday
Rotowire
Rea appeared in relief during Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Dodgers, recording two outs while allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks.
Rea had started in each of his prior five outings with the Brewers, but his usage out of the bullpen Wednesday confirms that the recently activated Adrian Houser has replaced him as Milwaukee's No. 5 starter. Given that the soft-tossing right-hander labored in his 27-pitch appearance Wednesday, it's possible that the Brewers option him to Triple-A Nashville in the coming days to transition him back to a starter's schedule in preparation for a big-league rotation spot opening back up later on this season.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Gets no support in loss
Rotowire
Rea (0-3) took the loss Saturday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk over six innings against San Francisco. He struck out four.
Rea turned in his first quality start of the season but was outdueled by Alex Cobb, who blanked the Brewers over seven innings. Most of the damage was done early, as a Joey Bart double in the second brought Michael Conforto around to score from first base before Thairo Estrada smacked a two-run home run off Rea in the third. Rea finished the outing by retiring 11 consecutive batters. Though the right-hander bears an 0-3 record, he's been a reliable fill-in starter for Milwaukee, who has dealt with a slew of injuries to their top rotation arms early in the season. Because of his unstable role as the team's sixth starter, Rea doesn't have much fantasy value outside of being a matchup-based streamer.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Nine strikeouts in loss
Rotowire
Rea (0-2) took the loss during Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Angels, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out nine.
Rea got through five innings for a fourth straight start and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts, but he suffered a second consecutive loss. Overall, the results have been solid for Rea, who's replaced Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) in the Brewers' rotation. While Woodruff isn't expected to return until the end of June, Adrian Houser (groin) is nearing his season debut after starting the campaign on a rehab stint in the minors, so Rea's time in the majors could be limited unless Milwaukee opts to go to a six-man rotation.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Handed first loss
Rotowire
Rea (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits and four walks over five innings Monday, striking out one and taking a loss against Detroit.
Nearly all of the damage against Rea came on Nick Maton's three-run shot in the third inning. Rea later coughed up one more run in the fifth during his lackluster outing. After a solid season debut, he's been tagged with eight runs over 10 innings in his last two starts, ballooning his ERA to 5.17. Rea is projected for a home matchup with the Angels this weekend.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Allows four runs in no-decision
Rotowire
Rea surrendered four runs on five hits and two walks over five innings during Tuesday's 11-inning win against the Mariners. He struck out two and didn't factor in the decision.
The right-hander was staked a 3-0 lead and held Seattle scoreless in four of his five frames, but the Mariners struck for four runs on four hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch during the third inning. Despite the rough third frame, it was a second consecutive solid outing for Rea, who now has a 4.22 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 8:3 K:BB across 10.2 innings. He's likely to stick in Milwaukee's rotation since Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) is still on the injured list, with Rea tentatively lining up to pitch early next week versus Detroit.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Sticking in rotation
Rotowire
Rea will remain in Milwaukee's rotation and is scheduled to start Tuesday in Seattle, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
With Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) out indefinitely and Aaron Ashby (shoulder) already ruled out for most of the season, the Brewers rotation depth is getting tested early on. Rea, 32, tossed seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and zero walks at Triple-A before giving up one run with six strikeouts in 5.2 innings Thursday in San Diego. His four-seam fastball velocity was around 93 mph in his first start, which is right where it was in 2021 before he went to pitch in Japan for a year, but he's since added an 84-mph sweeper that he threw 22.9 percent of the time Thursday.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Contract selected for spot start
Rotowire
Rea had his contract selected from Triple-A Nashville on Thursday.
Rea will make a spot start for the Brewers in Thursday night's series opener in San Diego. The 32-year-old had not allowed an earned run through seven innings of long relief this season at the Triple-A level but is a high-risk fantasy option versus the Padres. He's up in the majors for the first time since a one-appearance stint in 2021.
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Brewers' Colin Rea: Excels in spot start
Rotowire
Rea tossed 5.2 innings against San Diego on Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out six batters. He did not factor in the decision.
Rea was called up from Triple-A for a spot start to face the club he pitched for in 2015 and 2016. The right-hander did about as well as the Brewers could have hoped, allowing just a single run (on a Manny Machado solo homer) over 5.2 frames. Rea spent the 2022 season in Japan and signed a minor-league deal with Milwaukee during this past offseason, and he got the opportunity to start Thursday with Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) on the IL and the Brewers opting to give their other starters an extra day of rest. It remains to be seen if he'll get another turn in the rotation -- even if he does, he's a risky fantasy play given his career 4.78 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.
