Sore-armed Rea won't start again this season

SAN FRANCISCO -- Rookie Colin Rea, who was to make his seventh big league start Sunday against the Giants, won't make another start again this season because of soreness in his right forearm and elbow.

Rea was replaced by Odrisamer Despaigne, who got the start Sunday in the series finale against the Giants at AT&T Park.

Rea experienced soreness after his last start against the Rockies on Tuesday when he tossed seven scoreless innings. He still felt the same soreness Thursday when he threw his customary between-starts bullpen session.

"It was ... a little more sore than usual in that area," Rea said. "I went and threw a bullpen, and after it was still kind of the same with the soreness. I think I'd be able to throw, but I think their decision is the best decision, to take it slow."

San Diego interim manager Pat Murphy said the decision to remove Rea from the rotation was more precautionary than anything and that he could still pitch out of the bullpen this season, though that won't likely happen anytime soon.

"I think we're going to take a look and make sure his arm is 100 percent healthy going forward," Murphy said. "So [you] probably won't see him anytime soon, but if he gets a clean bill of health and is 100 percent, we'll take another look at it.

"We don't want to tax him."

To date, Rea has thrown 133 1/3 innings, which is only slightly behind the total he amassed last season (139) pitching for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore.

Rea's innings in 2015 were spread out over three stops -- Double-A San Antonio (75), Triple-A El Paso (26 2/3) and then 31 2/3 innings in six starts in the Major Leagues.

To be sure, it's been a memorable season for the 25-year-old right-hander, who pitched in the Futures Game in Cincinnati in July and then on Aug. 11 won his first big league start at Petco Park against the Reds, collecting his first hit as well during that game, playing in front of more than 70 friends and family from Iowa.

Video: CIN@SD: Rea pitches well, gets hit, win in MLB debut

"It's been pretty crazy as far as making moves to different levels, all the different experiences I've had, the Futures Game," Rea said.

Despaigne threw 46 pitches in relief Friday and likely only had a few innings in the tank for Sunday's game.

"It's a day for our bullpen," Murphy said.

The Padres have had starts of five or fewer innings in the first two games of this series -- Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy, both 4 2/3 innings -- so they will need help in terms of pitching due to a taxed bullpen.

There's a good chance the Padres could add some pitching help before the team opens a three-game series in Phoenix on Monday against the D-backs, especially now that El Paso has been eliminated from the Pacific Coast League playoffs.