The Chicago Cubs are down yet another pitcher - this time in truly bizarre fashion.
Left-hander Matthew Boyd injured his left meniscus while playing with his children at home Wednesday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell revealed, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.
While the exact nature of the injury is still unknown, an MRI indicated that Boyd will need surgery to repair the issue, Counsell added. There's no timetable for his return.
"We'll know more post-surgery, is what I'd say," Counsell told reporters, per Marquee Sports Network.
"He did it this morning at home," Counsell said. "Just a kind of innocent - just going down onto the ground and getting back up. Nothing kind of unexplainable."
Chicago selected right-hander Trent Thornton from Triple-A Iowa after placing Boyd on the 15-day injured list Wednesday. Left-hander Charlie Barnes was designated for assignment to make room for Thornton.
Boyd's strange knee injury is the latest in a string of pitching ailments that have decimated the Cubs' pitching staff this season. He'll soon become the 10th Cubs pitcher - and fourth starter - on the IL. The team has already lost Cade Horton to Tommy John surgery, while former All-Star Justin Steele recently had his rehab stopped due to a flexor strain.
Boyd was a first-time All-Star last summer after joining the Cubs on a $29-million contract. His 2026 campaign got off to a bit of a rocky start; despite having an 11.6 K/9 rate that matches his single-season career high, the 35-year-old owns a 6.00 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 24 innings.
Although Boyd has an injury history, the Cubs were counting on the 12-year veteran to remain a stabilizer in their rotation behind ace Shota Imanaga.
One possible internal option to replace Boyd could be moving Javier Assad back to the rotation. Assad began the season as a starter but moved into a long relief role after three difficult outings. Other potential options at Triple-A include southpaw Doug Nikhazy, who's on the 40-man roster, or righties Tyler Beede and Kyle Wright.
Despite their litany of pitching injuries, the Cubs entered Wednesday sporting a 24-12 record while sitting three games up on the second-place Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central.
