Chicago Cubs Pitcher Matthew Boyd Suffers Serious Injury While Playing With His Kids at Home

Chicago Cubs star pitcher Matthew Boyd will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering an unfortunate injury while playing with his kids at home.

Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, Counsell told reporters on Wednesday that Boyd suffered a left meniscus injury while playing with his kids. The Cubs are unsure when the 35-year-old starting pitcher will return.

"Kind of an innocent, going down to the ground and getting back up," Counsell said. "He woke up this morning a healthy player. He's just trying to process it and get all the information from the doctors to figure out what's next."

The Cubs will place Boyd on the 15-day injured list, per Rogers. Boyd will undergo surgery on his meniscus, and there's no clear timeline on when he'll return.

Boyd missed most of April recovering from a left bicep strain, limiting him to five starts up to this point of the season. The 6-foot-3 lefty is 2-1 this season with a 6.00 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched.

The journeyman pitcher earned his first All-Star nod last season after going 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched. It was the first time in his career where Boyd won double-digit games, with nine (2018 and 2019) being his previous best.

Chicago Cubs Are off to a Scorching Start In 2026

The Cubs returned to the postseason last year with a 90-72 record, defeating the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card Series. Their surprise season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 5 of the NLDS, though.

Losing star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency was supposed to be a blow to the Cubs. But they enter Wednesday with the second-best record in the National League at 24-12, just one game behind the 26-12 Atlanta Braves.

Chicago's hot start is extra impressive when you consider how difficult the NL Central is right now, as all five teams boast a winning record.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 7:29 PM.