Matthew Boyd Gets the Game 1 Nod for the Cubs After Surviving the Ultimate Dad Injury

The Chicago Cubs are officially handing the ball to Matthew Boyd for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. Bob Nightengale confirmed the move, setting the stage for one of the most unpredictable pitching matchups of the postseason.

Boyd is starting the biggest game of the year just months after tearing his left meniscus by squatting down to play with his kids. That is the most 34-year-old dad injury of all time, and now he is the guy tasked with keeping a loaded San Diego lineup quiet in October.

"Bob Nightengale tweeted: 'Matthew Boyd is the Cubs’ Game 1 starter'"

The veteran lefty got the nod out of necessity after rookie Cade Horton went down with a fractured right rib. To his credit, Boyd put together a massive bounce-back season, throwing 179 2/3 innings with a 3.21 ERA and 154 strikeouts to help drag Chicago into the bracket.

If you are looking at the betting lines for Tuesday's opener in San Diego, you have to weigh two completely different versions of Boyd. He was untouchable early on with a 2.20 ERA through his first 20 starts, but he limped to the finish line with a 5.16 ERA over his last 11 outings.

He did face the Padres twice back in April, holding them to just two runs over 11 1/3 innings. But April baseball and playoff baseball are two entirely different sports, and San Diego is not going to roll over at home.

The Cubs desperately need the early-season version of Boyd to show up on Tuesday. If he gets shelled early, Chicago will have to burn through their bullpen before Shota Imanaga or Jameson Taillon even take the mound for the rest of the series.