For the second consecutive season, right-hander Colin Rea has been called upon to fill the Chicago Cubs’ depleted starting rotation as injuries have continued to plague the team’s pitching staff. Initially assigned to the bullpen this season, Rea has shifted back into the starting role, making 11 starts and pitching 74 innings, the second-highest total on the team.

Rea, who was signed prior to last season as a flexible option capable of moving between the bullpen and rotation, said he prepares each offseason as a starter to stay ready for whatever role the team requires. “I feel like I’ve been doing this, even when I was in Milwaukee,” Rea said this month. “I still go through it in the offseason, train as a starter, get my volume up, so when I get to spring training and into the season, whatever happens, I’m ready.”

Despite serving as a reliable option amid rotation injuries, Rea has struggled to replicate his strong performance from 2025. Last year, he posted a 3.95 ERA over 32 games, including 27 starts. In contrast, Rea’s ERA has risen to 5.35 through 15 appearances this season after he allowed four runs in 4⅓ innings during Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants. That outing followed a difficult start in Denver against the Rockies, where he surrendered seven runs and two home runs. Currently, Rea ranks among the leaders in home runs allowed, giving up 12 long balls this year.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell expressed the need for improvement after Sunday’s game. “We need a little better, honestly,” he said. Rea echoed the sentiment, acknowledging that he has not been executing pitches at critical moments. “Just not getting it done, really. I just need to be better,” he said.

The potential return of left-hander Matthew Boyd, the team’s Opening Day starter, could further impact Rea’s role. Boyd has been rehabbing from injury but has yet to rejoin the rotation after experiencing soreness in his pitching shoulder, which delayed his expected return last weekend. Rea cautioned that any shift back to the bullpen would depend on Boyd’s health and the overall state of the rotation. “If that does happen, it speaks to the position that we’re in. If we’re making moves like that, it shows our rotation is strong,” he said. “I guess we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”

In other developments, right fielder Seiya Suzuki returned to the lineup Monday as the designated hitter in a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Rockies after being rested Sunday due to right knee discomfort. Suzuki, who left a game Saturday with knee issues linked to a previous injury sustained during the World Baseball Classic, went 0-for-3 with two walks and scored the tying run in the ninth inning. Manager Counsell described Suzuki’s progress as cautious but positive, noting the DH role may help build his confidence while managing the knee symptoms.

On the defensive side, catcher Moises Ballesteros has seen increased playing time, particularly behind left-hander Shota Imanaga, catching three games this month including Monday’s matchup. Counsell praised Ballesteros’s work without highlighting specific issues, saying, “We don’t talk about Moises after the game in terms of what happened behind the plate. And that’s a pretty good indication that he’s doing a good job.”