Matthew Boyd to undergo surgery for torn meniscus, another blow to injury-riddled Cubs pitching staff
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs ran into another obstacle in their injury-plagued season Wednesday, placing Matthew Boyd on the 15-day injured list with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Boyd will require surgery, and his timetable for a return is unknown. Manager Craig Counsell said Boyd suffered the injury while playing with his children, according to multiple reports.
Boyd, who is 2-1 with a 6. 00 ERA in five starts, is the second Cubs starter to go in the IL. Right-hander Cade Horton was lost for the season on April 4 and later underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL and flexor tendon.
Justin Steele also experienced a setback in his long-awaited return from last year’s Tommy John surgery, and he’s expected back no sooner than after the All-Star break. Potential replacements for Boyd are Javier Assad and Ben Brown, though both have been valuable in relief roles with the injury-marred bullpen. In all, 10 Cubs pitchers are on the IL.
Reliever Trent Thornton, a 32-year-old right-hander, had his contract selected from Triple-A Iowa to take Boyd’s roster spot. Thornton had a 3. 18 ERA in four outings with Iowa and has a career 4.
38 ERA in the majors since 2019 with the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. Thornton hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since a left Achilles injury ended his 2025 season Aug. 1.