Detroit Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd to undergo Tommy John surgery, miss rest of season
ARLINGTON, Texas — Detroit Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
The 32-year-old exited Monday's start against the Texas Rangers in the first inning after throwing 15 pitches. He threw the final pitch of his outing to the backstop at Globe Life Field and reported elbow discomfort when head athletic trainer Ryne Eubanks talked to him on the mound.
The date of the appointment for his upcoming surgery is unclear.
"Matt is clearheaded about it," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday. "It's disappointing for him and for us, but on to the next challenge for him. ... It's a terrible feeling when one of your players gets this news, and now he'll be resolved to be a better version of himself after surgery."
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After medical tests Tuesday morning, Boyd was diagnosed with a partial sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament and elected for the dreaded Tommy John surgery, rather than rehabbing an unhealthy arm.
The typical recovery time for the elbow procedure is 12 to 18 months, which means he could miss the entire 2024 season.
The Tigers placed Boyd on the 60-day injured list before Tuesday's game. He finished the 2023 season with a 5.45 ERA, 25 walks (8.3% walk rate) and 73 strikeouts (24.1% strikeout rate) across 71 innings in 15 starts.
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In December 2022, the Tigers signed Boyd to a one-year, $10 million contract. He was the first player signed to a major-league contract by new president of baseball operations Scott Harris, hired in September 2022.
"The first (priority), we wanted to find someone who could mentor the young pitchers that we have in the big leagues and that are coming through our system," Harris said Dec. 14. "The second priority, we wanted to find someone with significant upside and who gives us a chance to get off to a fast start in 2023. And Matt is not the same pitcher that he was when he was here in Detroit."
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Boyd underwent left flexor tendon surgery in September 2021, so this marks his second arm surgery within the last two years. He hasn't pitched more than 78⅔ innings (in 2021) since the 2019 season.
"This guy has been really healthy his whole career until just recently," Hinch said. "He's logged a lot of innings. He's had some really good stretches. I've seen him work hard to get himself over one injury, and now he's injured again."
Boyd returned from flexor tendon surgery in September 2022 and pitched 13⅓ innings out of the bullpen with the Seattle Mariners, after the Mariners acquired him from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline.
Last season, Harris was the general manager of the Giants and worked with Boyd firsthand to develop and improve "some elements of his game" during the rehab process. The presence of Harris in Detroit led Boyd, a second-time free agent, to the Tigers in the offseason.
Boyd, a nine-year MLB veteran, previously pitched for the Tigers in the 2015-21 seasons. He has recorded 162 of his 174 games with the Tigers — including 158 of his 160 starts — with a 4.94 ERA across 868⅔ innings in his career. He also pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays as a rookie in 2015.
"I feel for him," Hinch said. "He's a great guy, and he's going to work his tail off to be back and be the best he can be. But it's tough news."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Matthew Boyd needs Tommy John surgery, out season
