Baseball

Matthew Boyd returns from year-long injury rehab, is called to 'glorify Him' through baseball

By Joshua Doering Aug 14, 2024
Matthew Boyd pitches for the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

No team can ever have enough quality pitchers, even a squad tied for the best record in baseball (71-49) and owning the second-best team ERA in the American League (3.77) after Tuesday’s games. That’s why the Cleveland Guardians signed veteran starter Matthew Boyd back in June.

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The 33-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last year and made his return to the big leagues Tuesday night, allowing three hits and one earned run in 5.1 innings as Cleveland beat the Chicago Cubs, 2-1. He retired the last nine batters he faced in his first appearance since June 26, 2023.

“I’m grateful to be part of this club,” he said after the game. “I truly feel blessed to be here. Today was awesome. It was a milestone, but just the beginning, right? The goal is much bigger than that.”

Boyd was dominant during his brief spell in the minors before being called up, allowing just two earned runs in 21.2 innings across rookie ball, Double-A and Triple-A. His faith in God has served as a source of inspiration and hope as he recovered from surgery.

“It feels like a narrow path that’s tough to stay on right now, but I know I’m called to play baseball and glorify Him through the game,” he wrote in a devotional for the Spring 2024 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine. “And it’s not just a calling, it’s what I’m commanded to do until He calls me in a different direction.”

Boyd made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 and was dealt to the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline that year. He spent the next six seasons with the Tigers, making 143 starts.

The San Francisco Giants signed Boyd ahead of the 2022 season as he recovered from a surgery to repair a flexor tendon, but he was traded to the Seattle Mariners before he could take the mound as a Giant. He posted a 1.35 ERA in 10 relief appearances for Seattle, then returned to the Tigers in 2023, but made only 15 starts before needing surgery again. He became a free agent after the season ended.

As he navigated the injuries and the challenges of changing teams, Boyd never lost faith in God’s plan for him even though he was frustrated at times.

“I trust God and know He has good things planned for me,” he wrote in the devotional. “I know He’s got me and I’m His handiwork. Every time there have been these unknowns in my life, He has come through better than I could have imagined, and I know He’s going to do it again. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t often ask Him, ‘When’s it going to happen?’”

With the Guardians in solid position to win the AL Central for the second time in three years — they have a 3.5-game lead in the division — Boyd has an opportunity to experience the postseason for just the second time. He recorded one out in Game 3 of the 2022 AL Division Series as a member of the Mariners, but he’s never been in the MLB postseason otherwise.

The Mercer Island, Washington, native is confident in what the future holds because he knows who is in control.

“I don’t have to like the situation, but through my faith in God, I do know that on the other side it’s going to be amazing,” he said in the devotional. “That’s where my peace comes from. I believe my best baseball is ahead of me. I still believe I’m going to win a World Series and be one of the best starting pitchers in this game.”

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