Colin Rea Injury: Updates on Padres Pitcher's Recovery from Tommy John Surgery

Colin Rea won't undergo Tommy John surgery after getting a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. It's unclear when he will return to the field.

Continue for updates.

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Rea Avoids Elbow Surgery

Wednesday, Aug. 17

Lin reported that Rea will instead receive a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Thursday after consulting with Andrews. Lin added that Rea will then rest for three to four weeks before starting a throwing program.

The San Diego Padres had announced on Aug. 5 that Rea would need season-ending surgery.

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Rea's Odd Season Ends Early

After he started the season with a 5-5 record and 4.98 ERA, the Padres dealt Rea to the Miami Marlins in July. But after Rea suffered an elbow injury just 3.1 innings into his first appearance with the Marlins, Miami returned him to San Diego before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.

He was originally part of a seven-player deal that was headlined by the Padres shipping pitcher Andrew Cashner to the Marlins in late July.

Rea told the media he felt soreness in his elbow before the Padres sent him to the Marlins, but it didn't alarm him, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com:

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Every pitcher kind of goes through some soreness here and there throughout the season. ... For me, that's what it was. It wasn't anything more. It was something I was able to throw through. It didn't bother me at all. Then, obviously, in the start on Saturday, it just got a lot worse in those last couple innings to the point where I couldn't throw anymore.

"

In a new deal after Rea's injury, San Diego eventually sent Miami pitching prospect Luis Castillo, a 23-year-old right-hander who is playing in Single-A.

In his first two years in the majors, Rea has been consistently mediocre, posting a 7-7 career record with a 4.69 ERA. He has allowed three or more runs in 13 of his 18 starts with the Padres and won only two games since May 6.

Entering the season as a lower-tier arm in San Diego's rotation, Rea took on a bigger role after the team traded James Shields to the Chicago White Sox and Drew Pomeranz to the Boston Red Sox. 

San Diego also shipped outfielders Matt Kemp and Melvin Upton Jr. to the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively, as the team suddenly found itself in a rebuilding phase.

Given that the team saw Rea as a trade chip, the Padres won't feel his absence much. But at 26 years old, he is young enough to turn things around after his recovery.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.