MIAMI _ Everything seemed to be unfolding superbly for Colin Rea in his debut with the Marlins.
A day after being acquired from San Diego in a seven-player trade, the rookie right-hander set down 10 of the first 11 batters he faced Saturday with his new team at Marlins Park and had a four-run lead.
But after striking out Jedd Gyorko to open the fourth inning, Rea immediately gave a subtle wave with his glove toward the dugout to summon the trainer.
Moments later he was walking solemnly off the field, his night finished after 44 pitches, due to right elbow soreness.
Although the Marlins would go on to an 11-0 rout of the Cardinals, it was a deflating moment for the ballclub. An impressive offensive performance that saw Miami pound seven extra-base hits, including a two-run home run by Marcell Ozuna, left a hollow feeling in the wake of Rea's injury exit.
The initial report listed Rea as day-to-day and the extent of the injury is not yet known. Any hint of elbow trouble, though, is alarming with a pitcher.
The Marlins gave up a lot to get Rea and veteran right-hander Andrew Cashner to aid their first legitimate bid to make the playoffs in years. Cashner will make his first start for them Sunday as they seek a split in the series and 10-game homestand.
Rea gave up only a single to Kolten Wong leading off the third inning. He struck out four and didn't allow a walk.
The reason for the trade was on display Friday when Jose Urena was knocked around for eight runs in an 11-6 shellacking by the Cardinals. The Marlins weren't comfortable leaning on Urena or Jarred Cosart in a push for the postseason _ Cosart was dealt to the Padres and Urena was sent back to Triple-A earlier Saturday.
With left-hander Wei-Yin Chen already on the disabled list with elbow soreness, if Rea is out for an extended period the Marlins will be back to a stopgap approach to filling the fifth spot in the rotation as they have for much of the season. That could mean summoning Urena back from the minors or making another trade for a starter before Monday's deadline for nonwaiver deals.
Of the two former Padres, Cashner is more of a known quantity with big league experience stretching to 2010. He was hardly recognizable, though, upon first glace in a Marlins uniform having already shaved a beard that rivaled a lion's mane in accordance with the Marlins' policy on no facial hair.
While Cashner will be a free agent at the end of the season and essentially is a two-month rental, Rea will remain under team control through 2021.
Rea, 26, a 12th-round pick of the Padres out of Indiana State in 2011, has had an inconsistent season through 20 starts, though he lowered his ERA slightly to 4.82 with Saturday's aborted effort.
Asked prior to the game about his expectations for Rea, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said, "You never quite know. A guy flies in, changes teams and you're pitching. That's not a great situation, a guy that doesn't know anybody on his own team hardly, but you're hoping he goes out, throws the ball well, is competitive, keeps you in the game, gives us a chance to win."
Rea sat alone in the unfamiliar home clubhouse before most of his new teammates arrived. They had treated him rudely last month in San Diego, battering him for eight runs and nine hits in 22/3 innings.
Rarely has a newcomer gotten a more welcoming show of support than Rea received from Marlins hitters, who staked him to a four-run lead in the first inning.
Ozuna's 19th homer, and second in two days, just cleared the fence in left-center and was one of three extra-base hits that inning off Jaime Garcia.
The Cardinals starter was also gone after 31/3 innings, but for a different reason: Garcia gave up six runs and six hits. The Marlins chased him amid another four-run inning in the fourth, which featured doubles by Jeff Mathis, Adeiny Hechavarria and Martin Prado.
Mathis had three hits and drove in two runs. Christian Yelich, one of the hottest hitters in the majors over the past month, also had three hits, including two doubles. Gordon scored three runs.
Ichiro Suzuki entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter for Giancarlo Stanton and grounded out. He hit a fly to left in the eighth and remained two hits away from 3,000 in the major leagues.
David Phelps replaced Rea and held the Cardinals to one hit in 22/3 innings to earn the win.
