Rea is a likely candidate to start Thursday in place of Cesar Vargas (elbow), Bill Center of Padres.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rea is tentatively scheduled to make a brief appearance for Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, but now that a rotation spot has opened up, it seems unlikely the right-hander will toss more pitches than a regular bullpen session. The Padres had originally planned to take a conservative approach with the 25-year-old, but now that a need for a spot start has arose, there's a chance he sees Major League action again much quicker than originally expected.