You know, things were going a little too well for the Chicago Cubs, so naturally, another pitcher is injured. Veteran left-handed starting pitcher and 2025 All-Star, Matthew Boyd, will miss more time in 2026. He was sidelined earlier this year with a biceps issue, and now the pitcher needs surgery to repair his left meniscus.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell dropped the latest setback on Wednesday prior to the team’s third game at Wrigley Field against the Cincinnati Reds. After pitching a full season last year for the first time since 2019, Boyd has looked a bit off so far in 2026. In five starts Boyd has posted a 6.00 ERA in 24 innings.
Boyd was solid in his last start, going six innings in the Cubs’ 8-4 win on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. There is currently no timetable for Boyd’s return.
In 2025, Boyd made 31 starts, posting a 3.21 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 154 strikeouts over 179.2 innings. Boyd also started three games for the Cubs in the postseason. He gave up a total of three earned runs in 9.2 innings during Chicago’s playoff run.
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Boyd had not pitched more than 100 innings in a season since his 2019 campaign with the Detroit Tigers.
So, the Cubs, who are already without Cade Horton for the rest of the year, will now be down two starting pitchers for the foreseeable future. Last week, the Cubs also announced that Justin Steele suffered a setback in his elbow surgery recovery, pushing his timeline to return after the All-Star break.
The Cubs have been able to get this far despite numerous pitching injuries up and down the staff. Entering Wednesday, the Cubs ranked eighth in MLB with a 3.83 ERA.
There was already a need for another starter if the Cubs truly want to make a push in October before this Boyd update, so you know this will only increase the aggressiveness from the front office as teams begin to set out their plans heading into the trade deadline.
