Matthew Boyd of the Cubs injured his meniscus while playing with his kids

Chicago — First place Chicago Cubs Another blow to their pitching staff after Lt Matthew Boyd He injured his left meniscus while playing with his children at home on Wednesday morning.

Boyd, 35, will undergo surgery and be out indefinitely, though the team expects him to return this season.

“Kind of innocent, getting back down to earth,” manager Craig Counsell said of the injury. “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.”

Boyd, who made 31 starts in 2025 and participated in the World Baseball Classic during spring training, is going on the 15-day injured list for the second time this season. He is 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA in five games this season.

Counsell said the team will have a clearer idea of ​​how much time Boyd will miss after surgery.

“It would be more than the minimum,” Counsell said.

Boyd joins the top-end starters Justin Steele (elbow) and Cade Horton On the IL (elbow). Steele is expected back later this summer, but Horton is out until next year.

“It’s unexpected news, for sure,” Counsell said. “We’re going to fill in around him. It’s going to be our job.”

The Cubs thought they added considerable pitching depth in the offseason after trading for the righty Edward Cabrera And re-signing the left wing Shota Imanga. Now they must navigate without one of their best pitchers for the foreseeable future.

Counsel has discontinued the proper nomenclature Javier Assad The Cubs are running out of healthy options to replace Boyd. The team has “loose” plans for Boyd’s next start, which is Friday vs Texas Rangers.

The Cubs have overcome their pitching injuries so far this season thanks to a deep offense that ranks third in scoring with 5.4 runs per game. They had won seven in a row entering Wednesday’s game Cincinnati Reds After compiling a 10-game winning streak earlier this season.