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  "path": "/cubs/2026/04/13/cubs-left-hander-matthew-boyd-nearing-return-from-strained-left-biceps",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-14T00:12:49.386Z",
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  "textContent": "<p>PHILADELPHIA — <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> Opening Day starter <b>Matthew Boyd</b> is getting closer to a return from a strained left biceps.</p><p>The Cubs put Boyd on the 15-day injured list April 6 (retroactive to April 3) but didn’t seem too concerned about his injury. Boyd said that it was taking him longer to bounce back from starts and that he was dealing with soreness in the biceps. He said that if it hadn’t been early in the season, he likely would have pitched through it.</p><p>Manager <b>Craig Counsell</b> said Monday that Boyd threw a bullpen session Sunday and that ‘‘everything went great.’’ He will go to Triple-A Iowa for a rehab start and is lined up to return next week at home against the Phillies.</p><p>The Cubs need Boyd at his best as they navigate this season without promising right-hander <b>Cade Horton</b>, who is going to miss the rest of 2026 after having surgery on his pitching elbow.</p><p>Boyd’s last start was a 10-strikeout masterpiece against the Angels. His ascent into an All-Star pitcher last season was one of the driving forces behind the Cubs making the playoffs.</p><h3>Bullpen puzzle</h3><p>Figuring out the bullpen is a constant challenge for Counsell and president of baseball operations <b>Jed Hoyer</b>. Bullpens are fickle and change from season to season. Only <b>Daniel Palencia</b> and <b>Caleb Thielbar</b> returned from the bullpen that ended last season.</p><p>The constant flux has become normal for the Cubs, but they already have hit a couple of roadblocks with their relievers after injuries to <b>Phil Maton</b> (tendinitis in right knee) and <b>Hunter Harvey</b> (inflammation in right triceps). Maton was the rare reliever to receive a multiyear contract under Hoyer’s tenure, and though the Cubs knew Harvey had a lengthy injury history, they thought signing him was worth the risk.</p><p>Now that they’re down two key bullpen pieces — and with <b>Colin Rea</b> having shifted to the starting rotation in the short term — the Cubs recently have received admirable efforts from <b>Riley Martin</b> and <b>Ethan Roberts</b>.</p><p>‘‘Riley’s made a big move with his opportunity, and we’ve got to make sure we get him some rest,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘But he’s pitching great. He’s pitching great, and he’s pitching with some confidence for somebody that’s only pitched three big-league innings.’’</p><p>Both pitchers’ preparation has stood out. Entering the game Monday against the Phillies, neither had yielded a run.</p><p>‘‘They both have stuff that really stands out and can be really tough on hitters,’’ Thielbar said. ‘‘It’s really just about going out there and executing.’’</p><h3>Kelly’s hot start</h3><p>Entering the game Monday, catcher <b>Carson Kelly</b> was batting .308 with an .810 OPS. He delivered the walk-off single Sunday against the Pirates and has been one of the Cubs’ more consistent offensive performers while others have started the season slowly.</p><p>‘‘He’s taken a lot of the opposite-field hits all over the park,’’ Counsell said.</p><p></p><bsp-listcarousel class=\"PageListE\" data-module data-column-count=3 data-hide-authors=\"true\" data-hide-categories=\"true\" data-hide-dates=\"true\" data-hide-descriptions=\"true\" data-show-loadmore=\"true\" ><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"list-c90005\" name=\"list-c90005\"></a><div class=\"PageList-header\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title-wrap\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" target=\"{borderColor=#dfdfdf, pageNumber=1, titleUrl=https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs, inverseColors=false, footerBgColor=#000000, title=Latest on the Cubs, bodyFont=font-3, showListNumbers=false, imagePositionHorizontal=null, rteBodyFont=font-3, 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description=[{items=[“Your whole life being baseball, it’s always just go, go, go,” he told the Sun-Times. “I feel so lucky, all the experiences I had.”]}], audioDuration=null, _template=/page/promo/PagePromo.hbs}], mobileCarousel=false, tableEvenRowsBgColor=#f9f8f3, containerTitleFont=font-2, listBorderColor=#dfdfdf, defaultArticleLeadStyle=standard, _parentFiles=[/page/list/includes/PageList-header.hbs]}\">Latest on the Cubs</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items\"> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Jameson Taillon fights the wind, gives Cubs six innings\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/12/jameson-taillon-fights-the-wind-gives-cubs-six-innings\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f3545d9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3573x2392+7+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1f%2F2a%2F3acb2ac84e2bbe259d2d1dd55589%2Fpirates-cubs-baseball.jpg\"/> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/adab0f1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3573x2392+7+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1f%2F2a%2F3acb2ac84e2bbe259d2d1dd55589%2Fpirates-cubs-baseball.jpg\"/> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Jameson Taillon watches Brandon Lowe's second-inning grand slam Sunday. \" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/adab0f1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3573x2392+7+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1f%2F2a%2F3acb2ac84e2bbe259d2d1dd55589%2Fpirates-cubs-baseball.jpg\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/12/jameson-taillon-fights-the-wind-gives-cubs-six-innings\" >Jameson Taillon fights the wind, gives Cubs six innings</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">Taillon gave up six runs and three home runs, including a grand slam, but worked deep into the Cubs’ victory Sunday against the Pirates.</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1776037143000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/brian-sandalow\" >Brian Sandalow </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"576\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Slumping Michael Busch helps Cubs rally past Pirates for 7-6 victory\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/12/slumping-michael-busch-helps-cubs-rally-past-pirates-for-7-6-win\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/da19f6a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3506x2347+7+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F00%2F0f%2F3d79d17142708261118a19ecaed5%2Fpirates-cubs-baseball-1.jpg\"/> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d62f87/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3506x2347+7+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F00%2F0f%2F3d79d17142708261118a19ecaed5%2Fpirates-cubs-baseball-1.jpg\"/> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Michael Busch watches his two-run single during the eighth inning of Sunday's game.\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d62f87/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3506x2347+7+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F00%2F0f%2F3d79d17142708261118a19ecaed5%2Fpirates-cubs-baseball-1.jpg\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/12/slumping-michael-busch-helps-cubs-rally-past-pirates-for-7-6-win\" >Slumping Michael Busch helps Cubs rally past Pirates for 7-6 victory</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">Busch had been 0-for-his-last-30 before his pinch-hit single led to the Cubs tying the score in the eighth inning. Then Carson Kelly won it in the ninth.</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1776036809000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/brian-sandalow\" >Brian Sandalow </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"586\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListE-items-item\"> <div class=\"PagePromoB\"data-align-top> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Ex-Cub Kyle Hendricks in no rush to figure out what comes after baseball, says, 'Not knowing, it's awesome'\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/12/kyle-kendricks-cubs-angels-2016-world-series-cleveland-nlcs-dodgers-joe-maddon\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5b60b51/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3192x2137+7+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F92%2F03%2F44ec64bb450b92af9723a374f5d1%2F617307978.JPG\"/> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/11e36e5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3192x2137+7+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F92%2F03%2F44ec64bb450b92af9723a374f5d1%2F617307978.JPG\"/> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"NLCS - Los Angeles Dodgers v Chicago Cubs - Game Six\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/11e36e5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3192x2137+7+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F92%2F03%2F44ec64bb450b92af9723a374f5d1%2F617307978.JPG\"> </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs\" >Cubs</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/04/12/kyle-kendricks-cubs-angels-2016-world-series-cleveland-nlcs-dodgers-joe-maddon\" >Ex-Cub Kyle Hendricks in no rush to figure out what comes after baseball, says, 'Not knowing, it's awesome'</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">“Your whole life being baseball, it’s always just go, go, go,” he told the Sun-Times. “I feel so lucky, all the experiences I had.”</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1776004920000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/steve-greenberg\" >Steve Greenberg </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"800\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </bsp-listcarousel><p></p>",
  "title": "Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd nearing return from strained left biceps",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-14T00:50:47.936Z"
}