Carter Hawkins quietly eases Cubs' Matthew Boyd injury fear with the latest update

Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins delivered encouraging news regarding Matthew Boyd's injury. Boyd suffered a meniscus injury on Wednesday, and at the time, it was unclear if a trimming would be needed or a full repair. The latter would have ruled Boyd out for the remainder of the season, but it seems the Cubs have avoided that fate.

Hawkins told 104.3 The Score on Thursday morning that Boyd's procedure was "more of a trimming" and that the Cubs expect the veteran pitcher to take the mound again for them this season.

Generally, a trimming of the meniscus comes with a recovery timeline between six and eight weeks. If all goes well, Boyd could be back in the Cubs' rotation by the All-Star break in July. As was the case when Boyd was on the IL earlier this season with a bicep strain, it would seem that the plan for the rotation will include Javier Assad. Assad has been pitching out of the bullpen since Boyd's return, and of all the options available to the Cubs at the moment, he makes the most sense.

This is certainly the best-case scenario for the Cubs. The need remains for the Cubs to address their need in the rotation with an external upgrade, but at the very least, it's reassuring that they have Boyd's return in their back pocket. Not to mention, the All-Star break is when Cubs fans can expect a meaningful update on Justin Steele's status.

Matthew Boyd's injuries hides some encouraging updates

Boyd's injury masked some encouraging news for the Cubs on Wednesday. Two potential depth options for the Cubs later this season are making respective strides in their recovery.

Kyle Wright, who signed with the Cubs as a non-roster invite during the offseason, is expected to join the Iowa Cubs within the next week. He's a former 20-game winner with the Atlanta Braves, and his fastball was touching mid-90s during recent bullpen sessions.

Top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins has also resumed his throwing program and is making progress from the elbow inflammation that has forced him to miss the first month of the season with the Iowa Cubs. It's certainly an encouraging update, considering the ceiling that Wiggins has, but the expectation should still be for the Cubs to act with caution. Wiggins certainly could be an option for the Cubs at some point this season, but probably not until August or September.

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