Matthew Boyd Rehab Start Recap, Cleveland Guardians News

Cleveland Guardians starter Matthew Boyd gives up just one hit in his latest rehab start.

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

The Cleveland Guardians are still in need of more starting pitching help even after the trade deadline. One pitcher is on the verge of returning and there’s a reason to have some optimism about what they can contribute to the rotation.

Matthew Boyd made another rehab start on Wednesday afternoon, and it was his best one yet. The left-hander threw 6.0 innings, struck out seven batters, issued no walks, gave up no runs, and allowed just one hit. He even retired the first 17 hitters that he faced.

#Guardians LHP Matthew Boyd was almost perfect today in his rehab start for Columbus striking out seven St. Paul batters over 6.0 scoreless innings of work allowing just one hit. Boyd topped out at 93.1 mph.

Line - 6.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 7SO (63 Pitches 48 Strikes)

Boyd over his… pic.twitter.com/B2u6Xkq4fC

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 8, 2024

Boyd threw his fastball with the majority of his pitches, and his heater had an average exit velocity of 91 mph it topping out at 93 mph. Boyd threw a total of 63 pitches and 13 of those ended up being whiffs.

Boyd now has a 1.15 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP over his four rehab appearances. 

It’s still unclear exactly when Boyd could join the Guardians’ rotation. Chris Atneontti, President of Baseball Operations, initially said when the team signed Boyd that they were hoping he could contribute sometime in August.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd (48) throws against Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Based on his rehab stats and buildup, one would have to think Boyd is getting close to a big league return. Especially as Cleveland continues to search for consistent answers in their rotation. 

Boyd may not return and be an All-Star caliber starter, but he’s shown in his handful of rehab starts that he could be a solid innings eater for Cleveland down the stretch.