Matthew Boyd set to make season debut as Guardians host Cubs

Left-hander Matthew Boyd will finally make his 2024 debut when the host Cleveland Guardians continue a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

Signed by Cleveland as a free agent on June 29, Boyd has not pitched in a major league game since June 26, 2023. The 33-year-old, who went 5-5 with a 5.45 ERA in 15 starts for the Detroit Tigers last season, had been recovering from Tommy John surgery.

“Matt is chomping at the bit,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said back in June. “He’s a hyper competitive guy. He’s put in a ton of work in the rehab process and he’s excited to get back into a competitive setting in the major league environment.”

Needing help for a starting rotation that has dealt with injuries and inconsistency all season, the Guardians took a chance on Boyd, who went 1-0 and posted a 0.83 ERA in five rehab starts this year in Cleveland’s minor league system. Boyd struck out 27 in 21 2/3 innings.

Boyd will try to keep the American League Central-leading Guardians on the right path.

Cleveland has been riding a roller coaster since July 28, winning five straight and dropping seven in a row before its current three-game winning streak. The Guardians blew an 8-3 lead in Monday’s series opener, but Josh Naylor’s tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning sent them to a 9-8 victory over the Cubs.

Naylor is 5-for-11 in his past three games. Rookie Jhonkensy Noel clubbed a three-run homer and a solo shot while Steven Kwan had a two-run blast on Monday for the Guardians, who ended the Cubs’ four-game winning streak.

“I know I have the power. Everybody knows that,” Noel said through an interpreter. “The important part for me is to put the ball in play. So whenever I’m able to put the ball in play, that’s a really good feeling.”

Meanwhile, Chicago’s Ian Happ hit his 20th homer of the season on his 30th birthday and Dansby Swanson’s three-run double pulled the Cubs within 8-7 in the seventh. In the thick of the National League wild-card race, the Cubs are 8-3 since July 31.

“We played really good offense, even had some balls hit with men in scoring position that didn’t fall, especially early in the game,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said.

The Cubs also made Cleveland use six relievers from a bullpen that has been taxed as of late.

“We did make their bullpen work,” Counsell said. “Hopefully that pays dividends later in the series.”

Happ has homered three times in his past four games, while Swanson is batting .370 with six RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak. Those two are a combined 5-for-6 with a home run apiece against Boyd.

Right-hander Javier Assad (5-3, 3.24 ERA) is scheduled to start for Chicago on Monday, and the Cubs have come away with wins in the past four games in which he has pitched.

Assad most recently settled for a no-decision, giving up two runs and three hits in four innings against the Minnesota Twins last Wednesday.

In his only previous appearance against the Guardians, Assad threw three innings of scoreless relief on July 1, 2023.

–Field Level Media