Chicago Cubs left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd underwent surgical repair on Thursday for a torn meniscus in his left knee, an injury that occurred while he was playing with his children on Wednesday.
Cubs skipper Craig Counsell anticipates the 35-year-old pitcher will be out of action for roughly six weeks following the procedure.
“It’s kind of the minor meniscus surgery so we know he’s going to miss a month, six weeks,” Counsell explained before his team faced the Cincinnati Reds. “Probably closer to six weeks with getting it ramped back up. That’s what we’re hopeful for. Obviously, we’ll see how it all goes and I think the important thing is how much time do we miss throwing. That’s probably the biggest thing right here. The knee is going to recover pretty quickly, but how much throwing down time do we have to take?”
Boyd’s injury adds to Chicago’s growing list of sidelined starting pitchers, joining Cade Horton, Justin Steele, and Jordan Wicks on the disabled list. Horton faces a season-ending elbow injury, while Steele’s elbow problem will keep him out until the second half of the season.
With Boyd (2-1, 6.00 ERA) scheduled to start Friday against the Texas Rangers, Counsell has not yet determined his replacement. Both Javier Assad and Ben Brown are being considered as potential rotation fill-ins.
“We’re just trying to think about the innings puzzle moving forward here,” Counsell noted. “And then you’re also just trying to consider what’s next. You have to play that game, unfortunately. You always have to play that game: What do we do if something else happens? We just have to make sure we’re covered there. … I don’t think we have anybody completely stretched out as a starter right now. So that’s what I’m talking about, the puzzle. We’re just going to have to put that together. We’ll just see what we get there on that day and what that means.”
The Cubs made roster adjustments this week, bringing up reliever Trent Thornton from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday. On Thursday, they called up Gavin Hollowell while releasing Corbin Martin.
Martin’s departure came after surrendering three runs in Wednesday’s ninth inning, allowing the Reds to erase Chicago’s 4-2 advantage. The Cubs eventually prevailed 7-6 on a walk-off walk in extra innings, marking their third consecutive walk-off victory, 14th straight home win, and eighth victory in a row. Martin posted a 10.80 ERA across seven outings.
Thornton earned the victory in his Cubs debut by throwing a clean 10th inning.
The 28-year-old Hollowell recorded a 2.25 ERA in six games at Iowa before his call-up.
Chicago wraps up their four-game series with Cincinnati on Thursday, with Shota Imanaga (3-2, 2.40) taking the mound against Rhett Lowder (3-2, 5.09).
