Padres' Colin Rea: On track in recovery from UCL tear

Rea (elbow) is on schedule in his recovery from a partially torn UCL in his pitching elbow, the Padres' official site reports.

Analysis:

If he's healthy enough to do so, Rea could appear in a few Arizona Fall League games before the short offseason league wraps up in November. For now, the Padres are hoping that Rea can avoid Tommy John surgery, but the team has a Dec. 1 deadline for him to be completely healthy before reconsidering the procedure. If healthy, Rea will be in the mix for a rotation spot during spring training.