Matthew Boyd’s rehab is nearing an end, and the Cubs are preparing to add a lefty back to their rotation

The Cubs are closing in on getting Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd back from the injured list, after the left-hander completed a rehab run intended to test his left knee and rebuild his workload. Boyd’s return timeline has been discussed by the club as the next logical step in a rotation that has had to improvise for much of the season. The most immediate question now is simple: can Boyd resume pitching as a starting-caliber option without the setback that has defined his first half.

Boyd’s absence began after the Cubs announced, in early May, that he required surgery for a left meniscus injury. reported that the procedure was a partial meniscectomy performed on May 7 in Chicago, and the club initially expected a recovery window of roughly six weeks, accounting for the time needed to ramp back up for starts. That timeline put the Cubs in a familiar position by midseason, needing to shuffle plans while keeping pitchers prepared to fill multiple roles.

In the rehab process, the club emphasized that the priority was not just soreness-free motion but building up to starter innings. On June 6, wrote that Boyd logged 63 pitches across four innings during a Minor League rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. Manager Craig Counsell described the situation in practical terms, noting that the organization has “lost significant” pieces of its rotation and wanted to make sure signs pointed to a near-term return. The Cubs then planned for another rehab start with Iowa, and they indicated that the next appearance could be the point where Boyd would rejoin the majors if that outing went well.

By June 8, CBS Sports, citing Associated Press reporting, said Boyd had completed his minor-league rehab assignment and was expected to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Chicago’s upcoming three-game series in San Francisco next weekend. CBS Sports also framed Boyd’s return as especially timely because it could help offset additional disruption in the pitching staff. While a move off the IL does not guarantee the first start will line up exactly as planned, it does report that the Cubs believe the medical phase is over and the competitive phase can begin again.

That context matters because Boyd is not the only reason the Cubs’ rotation has required constant attention. ’s report on Boyd’s injury described a chain of setbacks affecting other arms around the same period, including season-ending surgery for Cade Horton and uncertainty for other starters and near-starters. In addition, Boyd’s early-season health issues were not limited to the knee. previously reported that Boyd also missed time on the IL earlier in 2026 with a left biceps strain, meaning this return has to clear both the “back from surgery” and “back to consistency” hurdles.

For Chicago, Boyd’s potential return changes the geometry of the roster. It allows the Cubs to stop leaning as heavily on swing options and bullpen-overload management, and it gives Counsell a more conventional set of choices for the rotation’s next sequence of outings. The closer the calendar moves toward the middle of June, the more that matters, because the Cubs will need enough starting innings to preserve leverage late in games and keep everyday performance steady.

The next thing to watch is whether Boyd’s workload and command hold up once he transitions from Iowa’s rehab environment to major-league lineups. The club’s published details point to a cautious but forward-moving approach, including pitch counts and staged ramp-ups. If the Cubs confirm the IL move and Boyd’s first start follows the plan, Chicago will gain a left-handed piece it has been missing for stretches. If not, the organization’s next test will be how quickly it can adjust without losing momentum in the standings.