Home is where the heart is. Or in this case, hurt.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd underwent successful surgery on his left knee to repair a meniscus tear Thursday after suffering an injury playing with his children. The expectation is that he will be sidelined 4-6 weeks.
“It’s minor meniscus surgery,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters. “We know he’s going to miss a month or six weeks. Probably closer to six weeks for him to ramp back up.”
“The biggest thing is how much time do we miss throwing? The knee is going to recover quickly, but how much throwing downtime do we have to take.”
It marks the second trip to the injured list thus far in 2026 for Boyd following a year where he made 31 starts for Chicago. Currently sitting at 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA through 5 games this year, Boyd will join Justin Steele and Cade Horton on the IL. Both pitchers are currently dealing with elbow injuries that will keep them out of the lineup for a significant period of time.
Despite having issues with their rotation, Chicago’s offence has keep them in the thick of things in the tightly packed NL Central this year. The team is currently averaging 5.4 runs per game, which is good for 3rd best in the league. That’s translated to a 25-12 record in 2026, giving them a 3.5 game cushion over St. Louis for top spot in the division.
Right hander Trent Thornton was selected to take Boyd’s spot on the roster in a corresponding move, while LHP Charlie Barnes was designated for assignment to open up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster. The team has largely been patching together their starts in the early going of the season, with Colin Rea moving from the bullpen to the rotation, and Javier Assad having already been called up from the minors.
The Cubs have yet to confirm a starter for Friday’s game against the Texas Rangers, though Assad, Doug Nikhazy, or even a bullpen game remain options. The team closes out their series vs. Cincinnati on Thursday, which, depending how many arms they need to use, should provide clarity on how they’ll approach Friday night’s contest.
Photo: Lance Cpl. Harleigh Faulk. This file is a work of a United States Marine or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a workof the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain.