Marlins starting pitcher Colin Rea day-to-day with right elbow soreness

The Miami Marlins sent one of the two starters they acquired yesterday in the trade with the San Diego Padres that picked up Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea. Rea was set to start tonight and he did, throwing 3 1/3 innings pitched with some effective results. He threw four strikeouts with no walks and one hit allowed with no runs coming through, and he looked to be cruising.

However, after striking out Jedd Gyorko for his fourth strikeout in the game, Rea signaled towards the dugout with his glove and pointed towards his elbow. The previous two pitches before the presumed injury were somewhat lower in velocity, with fastballs that went 86 to 88 mph after Rea had been sitting in the low 90’s all night. While color commentator Preston Wilson noted that it was an interesting move to throw out some lower speeds with the same movement and arm motion, but it turned out that may have had less to do with an intentional play and more to do with a possible injury.

The Marlins took no chances with Rea and immediately decided to pull him in favor of reliever David Phelps. The team trainer and manager Don Mattingly did not spend a whole lot of time out on the field before pushing him into the dugout and checking him out in the back. A few innings later, the official word is that Rea is out with “right elbow soreness,” leaving him day-to-day for now.

No further information has been provided, and as of right now that means just about anything for Marlins fans. If it is a serious elbow injury, it would be a major blow to both Rea and the Marlins. The team was hoping to pick up a starter with team-controlled time and someone who could help in the back of the rotation long-term, and Rea was looking to recover from a poor season so far in San Diego. Both sides are now waiting with bated breath on what to do with his elbow. Stay tuned to Fish Stripes for more information.