The hellish start to the 2026 season continues for the Chicago Cubs, as a second starting pitcher has been placed on the 15-day injured list. On the same day that Cade Horton had imaging done, the team announced that Opening Day starter and 2025 All-Star, Matthew Boyd will be shut down for a few weeks because of a bicep issue.
Unlike Horton’s case, the Cubs do actually expect Boyd to return in a timely fashion from the 15-day injured list. The left-handed pitcher said the bicep strain wasn’t hurting him through his first two starts of the year, but rather it became in issue during recovery days between starts.
Boyd and the Cubs said they expect for a minimum time missed on the injured list.
Boyd recorded a 6.75 ERA in his first two starts in 2026, but the lefty really only had one rough inning that made his ERA balloon. On Opening Day, Boyd struck out seven through three innings, but then lost it in the fourth and was pulled with two outs in the fourth. He was charged with six earned runs, but bounced back with a 10-strikeout game against the Los Angeles Angels in his next start.
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The Cubs’ pitching depth is already getting put to the test as Colin Rea appears to be the first man to step into Horton’s spot in the rotation and now Javier Assad has been called up from Triple-A to replace Boyd on the roster.
Assad has a career 3.43 ERA in 331 innings of work from 2022-25. As a starter, the righty has a 3.51 ERA in 54 games, and although Assad won’t overwhelm opponents with dominant stuff, he’s always been able to find a way to get outs. In 2025, Assad was limited to only 37 innings after missing time because of an oblique strain. He made seven starts last year and had a 3.89 ERA in 34.2 innings.
In two starts with the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A this year, Assad gave up seven earned runs in seven innings. All the damage came in his second start of the season on April 2, when he pitched four innings, and he was hit around to the tune of 11 hits and two home runs.
Assad is expected to pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays this week.
