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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 3: Matthew Boyd #16 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the top of the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field on May 3, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs were hit with tough news concerning left-hander Matthew Boyd. He was set to return this weekend against the San Francisco Giants, but a shoulder injury put that on pause.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell provided an update on Boyd before their game on June 13.

“Everything is good,” said Counsell on Marquee Network’s pregame coverage. “We’re probably trending towards a bullpen early in the homestand.”

Following the series finale against the Giants, the Cubs will return to Chicago. They play the Colorado Rockies from June 14-16. Boyd’s bullpen session will likely come during that series.

Assuming that goes well, the left-hander may come off the injured list soon. That will be a welcome sight for a Cubs rotation completely beset by injuries this season.

Matthew Boyd Injury Situation Following Latest Setback

The Cubs lost Matthew Boyd to a knee injury in early May. The left-hander tore his meniscus and underwent a meniscectomy. It served as his second stint on the injured list this season, as he missed the first three weeks of the season due to a left biceps strain.

Boyd had ramped himself up for a return after an 80-pitch outing with Triple-A Iowa on June 6. He just had to throw one final bullpen before getting activated for the Giants series.

But the left-hander left with shoulder soreness carried into his bullpen session between starts on June 9. With Boyd not recovering the way the team had hoped, they decided to change plans for the series. The left-hander remains on the 15-day injured list as of this writing.

Counsell doesn’t believe this setback will be too problematic. At the time of this setback, the Cubs manager said they were going to back off of him for a couple of days.

“We think this is minor, that’s the hope, and we can get back on the mound pretty quickly and not lose a lot of time here.”

Despite the setback with the shoulder, Boyd was able to play catch and throw long toss over the weekend. Counsell said on June 12 that the next step was getting him back on the mound. That’s when they can figure out when the left-hander will return to the rotation.

When Will Matthew Boyd Return to the Cubs Rotation?

The Cubs had already built up Matthew Boyd enough to consider a return to the rotation on the road trip. However, the next step will be getting him back on the mound.

Assuming that goes well, the Cubs can decide if a rehab start is necessary before activating him. That could be one, possibly two more turns through the rotation. That would estimate a return to be on their next road trip through New York and Milwaukee at the earliest.

The Cubs have struggled to field a starting rotation all season. Cade Horton is done for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Jameson Taillon is out until the All-Star break with a hamstring strain, per Counsell. And it’s also unclear if Justin Steele will throw a pitch for Chicago in 2026.

Their current starting five are Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad. Presumptively Assad will be bumped from the rotation when Boyd returns.

With that many injuries, the Cubs will look to shore up their rotation at the deadline. The question is, will the team stay in the Wild Card race long enough for that to matter? Getting Boyd back could help answer that question.