Rea (2-0) earned the win Tuesday against the Phillies, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts across six innings.
Riley Martin served as the opener for the Cubs in this one, firing a hitless and scoreless first inning on six pitches before Rea took over on the mound in the bottom of the second. Rea doesn't have overpowering stuff but was able to keep the Philly offense off-balance with his seven-pitch mix across 87 total pitches. Once Matthew Boyd (biceps) returns, perhaps as early as next Monday, Rea projects to remain in the rotation for the Cubs over Javier Assad after Assad was blasted for nine runs on 11 hits over 4.1 innings in Monday's loss to the Phillies. Rea has a 3.63 ERA and 15:3 K:BB across 17.1 innings and is in line to start Sunday at home against the Mets.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Bulk role likely awaits Tuesday
Rotowire
Rea is no longer scheduled to start Tuesday's game in Philadelphia but appears likely to work in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Riley Martin.
Chicago had initially listed Rea as its starter for Tuesday, but the Cubs will instead have the lefty Martin take the hill to begin the game since the Phillies typically have two left-handed hitters (Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper) within the top three spots of the lineup. Martin is unlikely to work more than an inning or two before giving way to Rea, who is coming off a strong start at Tampa Bay last Wednesday in which he held the Rays to one run on two hits and two walks in five innings. Though Matthew Boyd (biceps) appears to be tracking toward a return from the injured list early next week, the Cubs should still have one more opening in the rotation for either Rea or Javier Assad. Rea is the presumptive frontrunner for that spot after Assad was blasted for nine earned runs over 4.1 innings in the Cubs' 13-7 loss in Monday's series opener.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Solid showing in win
Rotowire
Rea (1-0) allowed one run on two hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out two over five innings to earn the win over the Rays on Wednesday.
Rea had worked in long relief for his first two outings of the season, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk over 6.1 innings. The right-hander has started at least 22 games in three straight seasons, so it shouldn't take him long to adjust, though it's unclear if he'll be the Cubs' long-term solution at the back of the rotation. He threw 51 of 79 pitches for strikes in this outing. Rea doesn't have great strikeout rates in his career, though he has a 10:3 K:BB through 11.1 innings so far this season. Assuming he remains in the rotation for another turn, he's tentatively lined up for a tough road start versus the Phillies.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Works in relief of injured starter
Rotowire
Rea allowed one run on four hits across 3.1 innings of relief in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Guardians. He walked one and struck out four.
Rea entered in the second inning after starter Cade Horton (forearm) departed early. After the game, the Cubs announced that Horton will be headed to the injured list, which will open up a rotation spot at least temporarily. Rea made 27 regular-season starts for Chicago last year and has 103 career starts at the MLB level, so he certainly has the experience to slide in if needed. Ben Brown is also an option to make starts, though the Cubs have not announced their plans for Horton's spot yet.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Picks up save Monday
Rotowire
Rea allowed two runs on four hits across three innings of relief and earned the save in Monday's 7-2 win over the Angels. He struck out four.
New Chicago starter Edward Cabrera tossed six scoreless innings in his team debut, and with the Cubs up 6-0 at that point, they let Rea close things out to save other arms in the bullpen. The veteran righty allowed a two-run home run to Yoan Moncada in the seventh inning, but then tossed blanks in the eighth and ninth. Rea has never had more than one save in a season during his MLB career, and he's unlikely to have too many more in 2026 from his long-relief role.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Officially secures bullpen role
Rotowire
Rea will make Chicago's Opening Day roster as a long reliever, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
With Cade Horton staking his claim to a rotation spot after an impressive rookie season and Edward Cabrera joining the Cubs via trade, Rea ultimately got pushed to the bullpen. The veteran righty made 27 starts for Chicago during the 2025 regular season, but he'll now slot in as a long reliever capable of supplying multiple innings out of the bullpen. Rea's fantasy value takes a hit in this role, though he certainly could still make some spot starts throughout the year.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Back with Cubs on one-year deal
Rotowire
The Cubs re-signed Rea to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with a $7.5 million club option for 2027 on Thursday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
The buyout on the 2027 option is $1 million, so Rea will be guaranteed at least $6.5 million. The Cubs had held a $6 million option on Rea for 2026, but instead he will get slightly more guaranteed money, while the Cubs will pick up an additional year of control. Rea put up a 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 127:44 K:BB over 159.1 regular-season innings for the Cubs in 2025. He'll likely open 2026 at the back end of the rotation, though he could shift to a swingman role if the team makes multiple other additions.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Takes loss in relief in Game 5
Rotowire
Rea (0-1) was charged with the loss in Game 5 of the NLDS against Milwaukee on Saturday. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 2.2 innings.
Drew Pomeranz started the game for Chicago and allowed one run in one inning. Rea entered in the second frame and got through two scoreless innings before serving up a solo homer to Andrew Vaughn in the fourth. That was the only run Rea allowed, but it was enough to saddle him with the loss as the Cubs managed just a single run. Rea finished the postseason having pitched in three games, giving up only one run over 7.2 innings despite yielding nine hits and posting a 3:3 K:BB.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Strikes out 11 in hard-luck loss
Rotowire
Rea (10-7) allowed one run on four hits and struck out 11 without walking a batter over seven innings, taking the loss Thursday versus the Reds.
Rea was excellent, limiting the damage to a Will Benson RBI double in the fourth inning, but that was the lone run of the game. The Cubs offered Rea no support, as they got one-hit by Reds starter Hunter Greene a day after clinching a playoff spot. Rea picked up his first quality start since Aug. 9 versus the Cardinals, and this was the first time he's logged double-digit strikeouts all season. He's now at a 4.10 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 120:43 K:BB over 153.2 innings through 31 appearances (26 starts) this season. He'll likely get the chance to tie his career high in starts next week with his last projected outing of the regular season, set to be at home versus the Mets.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Fans five in no-decision
Rotowire
Rea allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out five batters over 5.1 innings in a no-decision against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Rea held the Rays scoreless through four frames before giving up a run in the fifth. The right-hander then allowed the first two batters he faced in the sixth to reach base, and both ended up scoring. Rea did induce a healthy 13 whiffs and notched five punchouts, but the disappointing finish to his start kept him from completing six frames for the sixth straight outing. He's slated to take on Cincinnati in his next appearance.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Lasts four frames in no-decision
Rotowire
Rea did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks over four innings against Atlanta. He struck out three.
Rea was unimpressive Monday, failing to get through five innings and allowing plenty of traffic on the bases. The right-hander has shown signs of wearing down lately, pitching to a 5.03 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 34 innings in his last seven outings. He's slated to take the ball again Sunday against Washington.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Trampled by Giants
Rotowire
Rea (10-6) took the loss against San Francisco on Wednesday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out two batters over 4.2 innings.
Rea fell behind quickly, as Rafael Devers knocked his seventh pitch of the game over the outfield wall for a solo homer. Rea managed to get through a scoreless second frame, but things unraveled for him in the third, when the Giants got to him for three runs despite managing just two hits. The right-hander gave up three more runs (two of which were earned) in the fifth and was pulled before he could finish the frame. The poor outing snapped a string of four straight starts in which Rea had surrendered two or fewer earned runs. He's been middling overall this year with a 4.23 ERA through 132 innings, but he's been prone to blow-ups, giving up five or more earned runs on five different occasions.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Solid in no-decision
Rotowire
Rea did not factor into the decision in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Pirates, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings.
Rea allowed one run in the fourth inning but was otherwise sharp, generating 13 whiffs on 87 pitches and limiting the Pirates to one extra-base hit. The 35-year-old has surrendered just four runs over three August starts, though he's failed to complete more than five frames in five of six outings since the All-Star break. He'll take a 3.99 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 90:33 K:BB across 121.2 innings into a home matchup with the Brewers next week.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Sharp in ninth win
Rotowire
Rea (9-5) allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win over the Cardinals on Saturday.
Rea's shutout bid was broken up when Alec Burleson plated a run on a groundout in the sixth inning. This was Rea's first quality start in his last five outings -- he last reached the six-inning mark when he pitched seven frames of one-run ball July 10 versus the Twins. The right-hander is now at a 4.09 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 85:31 K:BB through 116.2 innings over 24 appearances (20 starts). Rea is tentatively projected to make his next start on the road against the Blue Jays. With the Cubs facing a stretch of 14 games in 13 days starting Tuesday in Toronto, he should be good to stick in the rotation for a bit longer even if Jameson Taillon (calf) and Javier Assad (oblique) are ready to return around the middle of the month.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Takes second straight loss
Rotowire
Rea (8-5) allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over four-plus innings Tuesday, striking out two and taking a loss against Milwaukee.
Rea escaped some early trouble with just two runs allowed through four inefficient innings. He was then charged with two more runs in the fifth inning while failing to record an out in the frame. Rea looked impressive during a four-start winning streak but has since been tagged for 10 runs (nine earned) over nine innings in his last two outings. The veteran righty now owns a 4.25 ERA with a 75:28 K:BB through 106 frames this season. Rea will look to turn things around in his next outing, which is currently slated to be at home against the Reds next week.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Hit hard in loss to KC
Rotowire
Rea (8-4) took the loss Wednesday, surrendering six runs (five earned) on six hits -- including three home runs -- over five innings as the Cubs fell 8-4 to the Royals. He struck out three without walking a batter.
The veteran righty got taken deep by Vinnie Pasquantino twice and Salvador Perez once, marking the third time in his last 10 outings that Rea has served up at least three homers. He's coughed up 14 long balls in total over that span, posting a 4.72 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 33:13 K:BB in 55.1 innings. With the Cubs potentially looking to add reinforcements for their rotation at the trade deadline, Rea could conceivably lose his spot, but he currently lines up to make his next start on the road early next week in Milwaukee.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Extends win streak to four
Rotowire
Rea (8-3) earned the win Friday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on four hits and four walks over five innings while recording five strikeouts.
For the fourth consecutive start, Rea earned the win and limited the damage to two or fewer runs. The only run charged to the right-hander Friday came on a third-inning RBI double by rookie Roman Anthony, but otherwise, the veteran kept Boston in check. Over this four-game win streak, the 35-year-old has quietly pieced together a 1.90 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 23.2 innings, showcasing an ability to navigate lineups with efficiency even without overpowering stuff. Rea will look to make it five straight when he takes the mound Wednesday, July 23 against Kansas City.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Grabs third straight win
Rotowire
Rea (7-3) earned the win Thursday over the Twins, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out five.
Rea was sharp again Thursday, allowing just one run on a Kody Clemens solo homer in the fifth inning. The right-hander has won his last three starts, allowing only four runs on 10 hits across 18.2 innings during that span. Rea's ERA is down to 3.91 through 92 innings this season with a 1.26 WHIP and 65:23 K:BB.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Allows one hit in win
Rotowire
Rea (6-3) earned the win against the Cardinals on Friday, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with four strikeouts over 6.2 innings.
Rea surrendered just one hit, a solo home run in the fourth inning, despite generating only six swinging strikes on 97 pitches. The 35-year-old notched his fourth quality start of the season and second in his last four outings, though that stretch also includes a seven-run blowup against Seattle on June 22. He'll carry a 4.13 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 60:21 K:BB across 85 innings into a road matchup with the Twins next week.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Colin Rea: Bounces back with victory
Rotowire
Rea (5-3) earned the win over Houston on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out two batters over five innings.
Rea was pounded for four homers and seven runs in his previous start, but he gave up a much more palatable one homer and two runs Saturday. While he notched just three whiffs and one punchout, the right-hander didn't issue a free pass and took advantage of ample run support to snap a streak of four straight winless starts. This was presumably Rea's final appearance in June, and the month was certainly a mixed bag for him -- he gave up two or fewer runs in three of his five outings, but in his other two starts he was tagged for a combined 11 runs over 9.2 frames.
