Cubs' runner-up in innings pitched behind Matthew Boyd comes as a major surprise

When the Chicago Cubs signed Colin Rea over the winter, there were plenty of questions as to just how significant a role he would have. Granted, when he was signed, the team didn't know that Justin Steele would miss nearly the entire season. Nor did they know that Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon would miss some serious time as well. And so, Rea got more action in the rotation than anyone expected.

In fact, Rea, who came to the team as a swing man, hasn't really swung. He has 31 outings, and 26 of those outings are starts. A guy who was initially thought to be a part-time starter has essentially acted as a full-time starting pitcher. And he's done quite a good job.

The right-hander has primarily been a starting pitcher in his seven-year MLB career, with 102 of his 125 appearances coming out of the rotation. Last year with the Brewers, Rea piled up a career-high 167 2/3 innings of work, with all but five of his 32 appearances coming as a starter, as he worked to a 4.29 ERA and 4.75 FIP.

Rea entered his last start neck-and-neck with Imanaga for the second-most innings pitched on the team. However, after a dominant seven-inning affair, he's got a comfortable lead.

Colin Rea is second on Cubs in innings after unexpected prolonged starting role

The "swing man" trails only Matthew Boyd, who leads all Cubs pitchers with 174 1/3 innings pitched this season. This week's seven-inning outing against Cincinnati got Rea up to 153 1/3 innings. His 11 strikeouts on Thursday also has him just one punchout behind Ben Brown for second-most on the team, again with Boyd sitting in first.

With a 10-7 record and a 4.10 earned run average, Colin Rea has had a bigger impact on the Chicago Cubs than anyone expected. And for the most part, the effect has been positive. The questions now are what his regular-season performance means for the postseason and then, if the team might bring Rea back for the 2026 season - that is, if he opts out of his player option for 2026.