The Chicago Cubs have had more than a season’s worth of injury-related bad news squeezed into less than two months of their 2026 campaign, it’s time for some good news.
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Veteran starter Matthew Boyd delivered that good news on Friday from Rate Field as the Cubs took on their crosstown rival Chicago White Sox.
Last week, the 35-year-old lefty had surgery to repair a partial meniscus tear following a fluke injury suffered while playing with his children. Initial reports targeted a comeback for sometime after the All-Star break, but expectations seem to be growing more optimistic as the veteran’s rehab progresses.
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Boyd, himself, talked about the recovery process, offering nothing but positives.
“It feels better every single day…It’s been awesome in that sense,” Boyd told reporters. “Luckily, throwing’s been normal. Two days after, we were doing normal throws…[Rehab is consisting of] different squats, going through the agility portions and all those things about, just, loading it and making sure there’s no compensations. It feels great now. Honestly, I’m feeling stronger than I was before, which is kind of crazy. So, that’s a blessing.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell concurred with Boyd’s positivity.
“It’s been a really good first week,” Counsell told media.
“He’s doing everything a little bit more effortlessly and pain free than was expected,” Counsell added. “He’ll see the doctor at the end of the weekend here, and we’ll see what’s next. But I think he’s going to progress at a pretty good pace. So far, we’ve gotten all good news from him.”
Boyd hasn’t exactly been killing it so far this season, posting a 6.00 ERA through 5 starts, with a previous stint on the IL earlier in the season due to left biceps tendinitis. But having him back will undoubtedly be a big deal for a stressed and strained starting rotation already dealing with the loss of emerging ace Cade Horton, who is out for the season following elbow surgery.
Last year, Boyd paid huge dividends as a free agent gamble for Chicago, coming off a run of injury-related layoffs and struggles to become the team’s most consistently effective starter. On the year, he delivered a 14-8 record with a 3.21 ERA through 179.2 innings. He was also named to his first All-Star team and earned Opening Day starter honors for the Cubs this season.
It’s also expected that former ace Justin Steele will return to active duty at some point following the All-Star break after suffering a flexor strain in his left elbow while rehabbing from last year’s elbow surgery.
Having both Boyd and Steele healthy and in the rotation for the second half of the season will restore high-end depth to the starting rotation right at the most ideal time. The team will then boast a front five of Boyd, Steele, a vastly improved Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon, plus capable swingmen Ben Brown, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad. There’s also a distinct possibility that the front office will trade for a quality starter to add even more depth.
There are still a lot of “ifs” in the team’s future when it comes to the starting pitching, but the pieces to the puzzle are definitely becoming available.
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Paul Magno is a trending news writer for ChiCitySports.
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