With updated arsenal, Rea making pitch for Brewers rotation

PHOENIX -- Colin Rea has added a new split changeup to his four-pitch mix this spring, but his fastball played so well in his start Sunday that he didn’t get a chance to use it much.

Rea struck out two of the three hitters he faced in his first spring appearance in the Brewers’ Cactus League home opener, a 10-3 loss to Colorado. He got both of his strikeouts on high fastballs and threw two split changes.

“I never had a good feel for a changeup,” said Rea, who threw 12 of his 16 pitches for strikes.

“It had been years and years and years of messing around with grips. A few weeks before camp started, I came across a split changeup grip. It feels pretty good so far. I’m going to implement it a lot this spring to see how hitters react to it.”

Rea, 33, believes the pitch could be a valuable alternative against left-handed hitters, who had 15 homers and slugged .502 against him in 2023.

Rea’s ability to adapt is nothing new. Rea used his slider more than ever in '23 while decreasing his curveball and straight changeup usage. His fastball graded out as his best pitch, according to FanGraphs.

“It seems like every year I’m adding a new pitch or changing the grip on something just to make it a little bit sharper, a little bit cleaner and more consistent,” Rea said.

“With the way hitters are now and all the reports they have on you, you have to add to your arsenal just to help you stay up there and improve.”

Rea had career highs in starts (22) and innings (124 2/3) when he went 6-6 with a 4.55 ERA last season. It was his first real opportunity and most productive year since 2016 in a career that was side-tracked by Tommy John surgery and includes two stints with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japan Pacific League.

“You are pretty certain that he is going to give you a consistent outing,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who managed Rea at Class A Short-Season Eugene in 2011. “He’s under control. And he’s hungry to get better.

“I have to give [Wade Miley] some credit, and [Brandon Woodruff], too. They kind of took him under their wing and helped him understand he’s good enough. ‘Code Red’ is going to pitch.”

Rea at the same time understands that despite the loss of Corbin Burnes via trade and Woodruff due to injury, the competition for rotation spots behind Freddy Peralta is wide open.

“I always come in with the mentality that there is a job to win,” Rea said. “I don’t expect them to just hand me a spot in the rotation. Coming in just like I do every other spring, ready to compete and ready to prove I can be in the rotation and help the team."

Peralta, Ross throw simulated games

Peralta, the Brewers’ likely Opening Day starter, threw 55 pitches in a simulated game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Saturday, while rotation candidate Joe Ross threw 39 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday.

Peralta faced Rhys Hoskins, Willy Adames and Christian Yelich and used his full mix of fastball and breaking balls. Hoskins homered, one of two balls put in play.

Aaron Ashby is expected to pitch in a sim game on Monday, while DL Hall (Tuesday) and Jakob Junis (Wednesday) are also scheduled to pitch simulated games.

Contreras gets off to a hot start

In his first at-bat of the spring, catcher William Contreras homered to right field on the first pitch he saw from Colorado starter Karl Kauffmann in the bottom of the first inning on Sunday. Contreras belted 17 home runs last season while posting career highs in batting average (.289), doubles (38) and RBIs (78).