CHICAGO — Matthew Boyd will take the ball to start the Cubs’ playoff campaign.

The left-hander was named the team’s Game 1 starter for Tuesday’s NL Wild Card Series matchup against the San Diego Padres. First pitch will be at 2:08 p.m. at Wrigley Field.

Boyd was an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2025, posting a 3.21 ERA in 179.2 innings across 31 starts in what arguably was the best season of his 11-year major league career. He was the Cubs’ workhorse, taking the ball every turn and leading the team in appearances and innings.

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The Cubs will hope that starting Boyd will mitigate a Padres lineup that has struggled against southpaws. San Diego had just the 19th-best OPS against left-handers this season.

Boyd faced the Padres twice this season, both in April. He threw 7.1 innings of one-run ball in a 7-1 win on April 5 at Wrigley Field, and allowed two runs on six hits in 5.1 innings in a 4-2 loss at Petco Park 11 days later.

It’s been quite a year for the 34-year-old, who made eight regular-season appearances with the Cleveland Guardians last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. The Cubs signed him to a two-year, $29 million contract in the winter, despite Boyd throwing just 39.2 regular-season innings in 2024.

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What a great deal it’s turned out to be for both sides. Boyd entered the year as the Cubs’ likely fourth starter, behind left-handers Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele and right-hander Jameson Taillon. As injuries hamstrung the rotation all year, Boyd was the consistent presence for Craig Counsell’s staff. His 179.2 innings are the most Boyd has thrown in a season since 2019, when he had a 4.56 ERA in 185.1 innings with the Detroit Tigers.

Just one week ago, though, Boyd wasn’t the likely Game 1 starter candidate.

Rookie Cade Horton had a breakout second half, posting a 1.03 ERA in 12 games after the All-Star break and solidifying his status as a prime NL Rookie of the Year candidate. The Cubs had lined up their rotation so Horton potentially could begin their playoff march, but he exited his final start of the year last Tuesday with back discomfort.

Horton underwent an MRI that revealed he had a fractured right rib. He tried to pitch through the injury but landed on the 15-day IL on Saturday. That ruled him out through the NL Division Series, at least.

Enter Boyd.

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He made three postseason starts for the Guardians last season as they reached the ALCS, falling to the New York Yankees. Boyd pitched to a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 innings with 14 strikeouts in the postseason. He also threw 0.1 innings in the 2022 ALDS with the Seattle Mariners.

Boyd enters the playoffs with some question marks, though. He pitched well in his final regular-season outing, allowing just two runs in 5.1 innings, but he posted a 5.77 ERA in eight starts before that.