CHICAGO — Matthew Boyd has approached each day with a sense of gratitude since returning to a mound last year. The veteran has repeatedly expressed that feeling in conversations and interviews, knowing that his career was at a crossroads a year ago.
On Sunday, Boyd’s road back culminated in the first All-Star nod of his Major League career, joining starting outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker on the National League’s roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. The news arrived ahead of Boyd’s scheduled start against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
“Matt’s put together a wonderful first half. He’s very deserving,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And to make this staff as one of the starters in this league, that’s not an easy thing to do. So, I’m just happy for Matt.”
Entering Sunday’s game, the 34-year-old Boyd — a veteran of 11 seasons in the big leagues — had compiled a 2.65 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 22 walks in 98 2/3 innings for the Cubs. He has been a steadying presence for a rotation that has dealt with injury setbacks to Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon this year.
Boyd was signed to a two-year contract by the Cubs over the offseason after his impressive comeback campaign with Cleveland last season. The lefty was signed by the Guardians in June amid a comeback from Tommy John surgery, found his way back to the Majors by August and helped Cleveland reach the cusp of the World Series.
In eight appearances for Cleveland down the stretch, he logged a 2.72 ERA. He then made three starts in the Guardians’ postseason run to the American League Championship Series. It was a strong showing that convinced the Cubs to take a chance on the left-hander, and he has continued on the same strong path for Chicago.
“If you look at the last four years in his career,” Counsell said, “you go through these injuries and there’s always a reason to keep going. There’s always a reason to prove yourself. At this stage [of his career], to be an All-Star is a real, I think, lesson for everybody, for all of us, in why you never give an inch and you keep at it.
“And you go about every day the same and you attack every day during your injuries the same. And he’s clearly done that. This is one of the rewards for that.”
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