Cleveland Guardians Roster Moves, Matthew Boyd Activated Off Injured List

The Cleveland Guardians activate LHP Matthew Boyd from the 15-day injured list and optioned RHP Peter Strzelecki to Triple-A Columbus.

Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd delivers a pitch against the Royals during the first inning at Comerica Park on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Help is on the way for the Cleveland Guardians' starting rotation as their veteran starters get healthy. Alex Cobb made his season and team debut last Friday and pitched against on Wednesday, and now Matthew Boyd is on his way back as well.

Cleveland officially activated Boyd off the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, and he'll make his first start of the season against the Chicago Cubs. This didn't come as a surprise as Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said on Monday that the plan was for Boyd to make his return against Chicago.

The Guardians optioned Peter Strzelecki to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move to open a spot on the major league roster.

The Guardians, along with 12 other teams, attended a workout Boyd had in June and they signed him to a major league deal shortly after that.

Cleveland signed Boyd with the prediction that the cost for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline would be high.

Still, Chris Antonetti is pleased with Boyd's track record and said he can be "a very effective major league starter when he’s healthy, and we believe he can be a boost to our rotation and add some depth for us as we advance here through the season."

Boyd started just 15 games for the Detroit Tigers in 2023 before being shut down due to injuries. He had a 5.45 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in those appearances for the Tigers. The lefty made five rehab starts in the Cleveland minor league system and looked impressive in those outings, posting 0.83 ERA and 0.65 WHIP in five starts.

The Guardians are relying on Boyd to provide valuable innings for them this season and we'll get our first look at the veteran arm on Tuesday night.