Cubs’ Matthew Boyd injures meniscus while playing with his kids

CHICAGO — The top-ranked Chicago Cubs suffered another blow to their pitching staff after left-hander Matthew Boyd injured his left meniscus while playing with his children at home Wednesday morning.

Boyd, 35, will undergo surgery and be out indefinitely, although the team expects him to return this season.

“Kind of an innocent guy, going down to the ground and getting back up,” manager Craig Counsell said of the injury. “He woke up this morning a healthy player. He’s just trying to figure that out and get all the information from the doctors to figure out what’s next.”

Boyd, who made 31 starts in 2025 and participated in the World Baseball Classic during spring training, is on the 15-day injured list for the second time this season. He is 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA in five games this season.

Counsell said the team will have a clearer idea of ​​how much time Boyd will miss after surgery.

“It will be more than the minimum,” Counsell said.

Boyd joins high-end starters Justin Steele (elbow) and Cade Horton (elbow) on the IL. Steele is expected to return later this summer, but Horton is out until next year.

“It’s unexpected news, that’s for sure,” Counsell said. “We’re going to have to replace him. That will be our task.”

The Cubs thought they added enough pitching depth in the offseason after trading for right-hander Edward Cabrera and re-signing left-hander Shota Imanaga. They will now have to navigate without one of their best pitchers for the foreseeable future.

Counsell did not name right-hander Javier Assad to replace Boyd because the Cubs are short on healthy options. The team has “vague” plans for Boyd’s next start, which will be Friday against the Texas Rangers.

The Cubs have overcome their pitching injuries so far this season thanks to a deep offense, which ranks third with 5.4 runs per game. They have won seven in a row heading into Wednesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds after riding a 10-game winning streak earlier this season.