Lingering shoulder soreness after a final bullpen session has derailed the left-hander's anticipated comeback, forcing Chicago to pivot to Javier Assad for the pivotal series against San Francisco.
The Chicago Cubs were going to get a key arm back in their rotation this weekend.
The expectation was that Matthew Boyd was going to be activated from the 15-day injured list to start one of the first two games in the weekend series against the Giants. He built up to 80 pitches in his most recent rehab outing and appeared to be fully healthy after undergoing meniscus surgery back on May 7.
Even manager Craig Counsell told reporters in Colorado before Tuesday’s game that Boyd would return this weekend.
Unfortunately, that will not be the case.
Boyd has suffered a setback and will not return this weekend after all. The veteran southpaw hasn’t bounced back physically as well as he usually does and is dealing with some shoulder soreness following a bullpen session.
Boyd’s bullpen session on Tuesday was his last hurdle before returning. If he checked off all the boxes, he would slot right back into the Cubs’ rotation. But he obviously didn’t feel right after that bullpen, which will now delay his return from the IL.
The Cubs are hopeful that this shoulder soreness is just a minor issue and won’t keep him out for an extended period. Counsell told reporters before Wednesday’s game that he hopes “we can get [him] back on the mound pretty quickly.”
There is currently no timeline for Boyd's return following this setback. The Cubs are going to take this shoulder soreness day by day before making any announcements on when the left-hander could pitch next.
However, it is encouraging that Boyd will play catch on Thursday to test out his sore shoulder. That’s at least a good sign that this could only delay his return by just a few days. How his shoulder responds after Thursday’s catch session will be imperative to when the veteran could return.
It has already been an injury-riddled 2026 season for Boyd. He missed three weeks due to a bicep strain in early April, landed on the injured list due to a meniscus tear on May 6, and is now dealing with some shoulder soreness.
This setback sets up Javier Assad to make his first start since April 19. Assad has spent the last seven weeks in the Cubs’ bullpen and down in the minors building up as a starter again.
All signs now point to him being the primary pitcher for one of the team’s three games this weekend against the San Francisco Giants. In his most recent relief appearance, Assad threw 6 ⅓ scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts.
