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.

Reliever Charlie Barnes was designated for assignment, opening up a spot on the 40-man roster for Thornton.

Despite the injuries, the first-place Cubs entered their home game Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds at 24-12, having won seven straight and 17 of 20 overall and 13 consecutive at Wrigley Field.