Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - 5 On It & Craig Counsell talks aftermath of Matthew Boyd's meniscus injury (Hour 3)

Episode Date: May 7, 2026

In the final hour, Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote discussed a variety of sports topics in the 5 On It segment. After that, they listened to Cubs manager Craig Counsell's pregame comments about how the team moves forward after left-hander Matthew Boyd underwent meniscus surgery, sidelining him indefinitely.

This hour is brought to you by Vesectomy Clinics of Chicago. It's time for five on it. Rahini Harrison Rooney. Bring you five topics on their minds today. On 104-3, the score. I got five on it. Number one. Which of the Cubs three walk-off wins over the Reds has been your favorite?

I think it might be last night because really exciting things happened in the game, but then the way they won was like, we won? we won! Play the song! Wait, what happened? Yeah, that's right. Oh, we walked it off this time with a walk. Got it. Seven to six, Cubs win. Fifteen straighter Wrigley, let's go.

So I love a very baseball-y, anti-climactic thing that happens to have you win the game. It's like a walk-off ABS challenge, or like I said, perhaps a walk-off balk. All these are possibilities. So there was a lot of, there were dramatic things that happened, There were high tents, high leverage moments. There were mound visits.

There was the PCA home run where the place just erupted. And then there was the, hey, wait, I was supposed to challenge that. No, you don't get the challenge. Well, Craig Counsel says I can get the challenge. No. That was a walk, though. Cubs win. What?

It's like these games have undercards to the greatness. Like you just mentioned, the PCA home run. Right. To tie the game. And we're not even talking about that as much as we're talking about the Michael Bush walk off walk. So you had in the game the other day. You had the same thing. Michael Bush with the game tying home run for that drama as the undercart.

And then he gets the game winning hit. I'm going to go, though. I'm going with game, the Monday game, the 5-4-1, the Edward Cabrera game. Because Michael Confordo gets up there and gets the game-winning home run. Up it in, Opo. Unbelievable. And I say that because usually it's guys like that. the Michael Confordo's of your team, the guys that are not going to play a ton, but when they make a

contribution, it just feels even better where you have everybody contributing and you have to have those guys on your team. Apparently Michael Conforto, the way I'm reading and understanding it, very popular in the clubhouse with everybody. So to have those guys and those moments from unexpected players, Michael Conforto, a guy who I didn't even know he was going to make the team. And if he was going to make the team, he was going to get sent down after, say, Suzuki was ready to play right field. And here he is contributing with big hits.

So for me, and that was the first one of his career, right? The first walk off of his life. Walk off home run, I think. Oh, really? Yeah, that's what I thought it was. Oh, I thought it was on any level of his life. I thought Conforto had not had a walkoff. But the point still stands to get contributions from guys like that.

Those are the seasons in which you win. So I'm going Conforto. Cubs Monday game is my magical moment. Number two. The news broke Wednesday that Cubs left-handed Matthew Boyd has a meniscus issue in his left knee and will likely need surgery. Who do you think is the most likely candidate to start in his place when his spot in the starting rotation comes up tomorrow? Okay, so he got surgery. That happened this morning, according to multiple reports.

So he's now on the mend. I'm skeptical at the month recovery time. I feel like that's optimistic. great if it happens on time, but don't be surprised if it takes longer. So because of that, I feel like Javier Assad is the most likely next man up. It was Assad or Ray, the discussion when we had Kate Horton go down. So I feel like next it's got to be Javier Assad. Now, I know that might deplete the bullpen somewhat, but I feel like they're already playing

with that kind of mindset. You know, they're managing the roster with that kind of mindset. that we saw Corbyn Martin reportedly get DFAed this morning. So I know it's going to be just a shuffling of the bullpen. You just don't want that to be, you're going to have to do some of it throughout the course of the season, but you don't want it to be as high stress, I think, into perpetuity. But I don't know what they think they are built for.

And like we saw, you know, last year, they didn't want to give up the price for a lot of the going rate for pitchers. They ended up with Michael Soroka, and that didn't end well for them at all. So it's hard to figure out how this goes moving forward with the chain of reaction of events that could happen. You take Assad out of the bullpen and that's another reliable arm. Javier Assad is the, unfortunately, the only answer to this question at this very moment. And hopefully you continue to get success from Colin Ray, who just like all of a sudden now is like it's not like, oh, Colin can do anything.

No, you have to start and you have to be good at starting. same thing with Javier Assad who and I know like Javier Assad has been fine I am just never he's very hittable but he but he's absolutely the answer and then there just aren't like at the moment there aren't other answers that we know of in in the minor leagues we talked about Jordan Wicks earlier and I've got it down here I kind of was was guessing he gave up did Jordan Wicks in his last rehab start he had a left forearm injury he gave up six runs over three and two Thursday the other day and his most recent rehab started his last two have not been very good. Jackson Wiggins, people always asking about him.

He was injured. He's now in a throwing program, so not even pitching to live batters at this point. So he's a little ways off. He's your top pitching prospect for people who don't know. So that I'm just trying to explain why the only answer right now, unfortunately, is have your

shot. And I guarantee it, Leila, somebody will come up that none of us has heard of and he'll pitch three or four innings, whether it's a guy that was a perceived bullpen dude. Somebody will come up because they know more than we do, but the obvious names aren't there right now. Well, I mean, that's how we got Kel Palm Flex, as I like to refer to it. That was the Brad Keller, Drew Pomerant's Chris Flexen combination.

Yes, like that has to come for them to survive, and eventually the Cubs, they'll have no choice but to trade for a pitcher, and we all know that ain't happening this early in the season. Number three. This is five on it on it on 104.3, the score with Leila Rahimi and Mark Grody. Here's question number three. What was the most disappointing aspect of the White Sox series loss to the Angels? It wasn't yesterday, no.

Yesterday. It was the 4-3 loss. It was the 4-3 loss, the one-run game where they could have taken the series from the Angels, where unfortunately we thought that Minotaka Murakami had the day off. He ended up coming in and pinch hitting and playing at first base, and then you've got to ask yourself, well, if you end up playing him because you were down only a run and you thought it was a winnable game, then maybe next time you just have to, you have to roll the dice and either sit him entirely or play him and give him a higher spot in the batting order.

Because the more at bats, Mune gets, the more likely he is to make something positive happen, especially when you consider a one-run game. So that's probably it, but that's hard to gauge. You have to manage. That's part of managing. Is managing somebody's workload and figuring out whether or not they need a day off and how? I'm with you. That was the game for me for all those reasons.

And that was also the game that if you win, your record reads 500. Oh, yeah. And that's, to me, that's so important for the White Sox to get to that point this season. I think that they will. Will they sustain it? I have no idea. But that would have felt really good. And in that game, the White Sox head building.

They were up in that game. It was 2-0 early. Randall Gritchick, who just joined the White Sox. Gritchick, Gritchick, the old Redbird. Oh, I remember you, Randall Gritchick. Manning the Outfield. Yeah, he was one of those guys, one of those annoying Cardinals back in the day. So I see you, Randall Gritchick.

But they built up the two-run lead. You had to chase Midroth home run in that game. Not the greatest day for Eric Fetty on the mound, but that too. And I did feel, I think I texted to you guys. in the group chat. I felt ripped off having to stay up late and watch that game and not have Munataka Morikami in the lineup. The least the socks can do for these 840 starts is have full entertainment for everybody watching and observing. Well, good news, Mark Grody. They're at home. Cliff Levingston's here. Good news. They're at home for the next three series. And one of the series

has Emo Night. Did you know about this? I did not know about Emo Night. I want to know what happens on Emo Night. It's on a Thursday night. They play the Kansas City Royal. is it like emo Jimmy Butler? Does everybody wear like heavy black eyeliner? Do they play nothing but my chemical romance? Am I invited? I got dinner plans that night.

I'll have to time delay the socks game. If you got invited, you would augment for emo. I don't know. The dinner invitation was really good. Is it? Joe's. Oh, yeah.

You can't really pass it. I've been Joe's in a long time. We do, we call it the lunch bunch, me and my buddies, and we try to do a dinner meeting at Joe's once every quarter. When you're not hanging out at Gibson's, you're hanging out at Joe's. I love your highbrow lifestyle.

Once a quarter. Yeah, my highbrow lifestyle. I'm wearing hand-wash every dish because I don't believe in my dishwasher. And my apartment right 82 degrees today, even though I had the heater off and I have apparatus under my door to prevent the air from coming in. Yes, I am highbrow. Is there a Pope night on the South Side this year? Yeah, there's a Pope's a Pope's giveaway.

There is a Pope Hat giveaway. How about that? Is Chuck going to be? be at the door. Here's a hat. Here's a hat. Here's a Pope. Here's a hat. Maybe he's there for Emo Night instead. Oh, yeah, he'd be good. Oh, could I, yeah. Let's see Chuck Swirsky, Steve Stone,

some of the, some of our favorite broadcasters in Emo. Starnie sweeps like deep side parts, sweeps all of his hair to the side. Oh, man. Luke over well on the north side too. I'm looking this up because it has been mocking me on the calendar for quite some time. It really, oh, Bravo Night is happening on Friday.

What night? Bravo Summer House Night where the party vibes move from Montauk to the south side. Catch the action as they welcome. It's sold out, by the way, just in case you were wondering. The Bravo Nights for Major League teams got a lot of flack on the social media from places like Twitter, aka the Sad Boy Network. Well, lookie here. Bravo Night made some money.

Maybe you should try it sometime. calling all emo's young and elder. The White Sox are hosting their first ever emo night at the ballpark. Each ticket purchased includes a t-shirt to the game and the t-shirt is very emo. Plus, a limited available pregame patio party will get you access to a 30-minute performance from local Chicago band, Knuckle Puck. Can I say that on the end? Knuckle puck. Knuckle puck.

They also have reggaeton night on Friday the 29th. Okay, I'm going to stop reading the Sox calendar now. I kind of enjoy you. I know Ybo Knight has been staring at me. I'm like, what is it? Elvis Knight is a great night at the ballpark. Everybody knows that. Yeah.

All right. Question number four. Bears rookie minicamp begins Friday. And coach Ben Johnson will meet the media. What's at the top of your list of topics you'd like to hear from Johnson while he addresses the media during his press count. Yes, Leila Rahimi. Go ahead.

Hi, yeah, Layla Rahimi. I just complain a lot on the radio and stuff. Who were you with? Nate and state your place. I am with the Mark Grody Bears, score, Bears Network Bears. Thank you.

You've lost all your credibility, but go ahead. Yes, I never had it. So, Ben, with all these tight ends that you want for infinity times a million, what the hell formations do you want to run here? Also,

who's rushing the passer? And for the love of everything, holy, which Achilles did Dio O'Danebo Terran in 2021? Remains at the top of your list. I don't know if I want that question to answer. How could you give $5 million to? a deki-arabu. Wait, that's Seinfeld. Yeah, no, seriously, though, when it comes to, I think

Sam Roush, I understand why they wanted him. They think he's the best blocking tight-in in the draft. Additionally, though, what are you all going to do? How do you want to use this? Are you putting him on the left side? Because we don't know who's a left tackle right now, because it's kind of dicey. What's the idea? Pre-snap motion? I like all those questions. I want to I want this question asked frequently this year before the season starts. And I guess we'll see it play out. Is Logan Jones going to have a chance to start at center for the Chicago Bears from game

one of the season? Is that a real possibility? Or is it Garrett Bradbury and you let Logan Jones learn? And maybe as the season goes on, he gets in there some. Obviously, if there's an injury, he would have to be employed. But I want to know if Lowearned. Logan Jones' second round pick out of the University of Iowa has an opportunity to actually be the starting center for the Chicago Bears this year. I think we also, and maybe this is a topic you and I do later on.

I don't think we under, I think we somehow, even though we gave it a lot of attention, underestimated the waves of effects that the Drew Dalman retirement had on the Cubs, on the Bears plan for the off season. You know? That's a great point. Because think about how much they devoted to trying to fix it. And they did a good shot like, we don't know yet for sure. But on paper, it feels like a kind of disastrous situation, really, sports disaster.

When maybe the most important part of your offense, certainly the offensive line and Drew Dalman, retires. And then they were able to fix it with these two guys, Garrett, Bradbury, and Logan Jones. Number five. This is five on it at 104. three. The score, here's our final question. According to the athletics, John Greenberg, the day before Bulls president, CEO Michael Reinsworth, and then executive vice president, candidate, Bryson Graham, sat down for their official interview, the pearhead dinner at classic Chicago steakhouse, Erie Cafe. So here's the question. Where would you want a prospective

employer to take you to dinner? Emo night. Yeah. Yes. What are you getting on the menu? Yeah, so I love this. And who doesn't love Erie Cafe? Erie Cafe is a staple. It's almost patio season. The Erie Cafe patio is quite the thing. You just say you used to live on the Erie Cafe patio? No, no, no, no, no. I used to live on Erie. Yes, I did.

I was East Side, though. Oh, you were? Yeah, I was East Erie. Yeah, do you know who else you might be able to see every now and then? Passing time at Erie Cafe, if you're lucky. Oh, yeah. I was going to say, that's a Coom spot. Yes, it is.

That's a total Coom spot. The Erie Cafe bar. If you know, you know. So I think that's fantastic. So you're going, okay. So you're at Emo Night for sure. I am, I was. Do I not get to say what your actual restaurant?

Oh, go ahead. Layla. Oh, I thought that was it. We're going to interview you at Emo Night. And I'll be like, so we lost it all. Nothing lasts forever. I'm sorry. I can't be perfect.

What's your actual restaurant, Layla? You can't narrow it down to one, can you? I actually, I actually think that we wanted to know what you think. because Mark Grody receives gifts. That's true. Like everybody wines and dines Mark Grody. We are accepting gifts now. Whatever he tells me about his dinners with Mitch,

they're always at highfalutin places. Like I love a good Chicago steakhouse. I love a good Chicago high-end establishment. I got to check out Bartuto. That's the new Joe Flam spot, but that's every day and a little more accessible. Artuto. Well, I would say Gibson's,

but I'd fear I might run into you there and your crew, and that intimidates me. I got shooters. We got investigators. all over town. We spot people out and about in the streets. I'm going to keep it simple because this is a place that is near me now that I did not have honestly, like shame on me, I didn't have a lot of experience at this place, but it's been kind of a go-to hang out now when I've got people hanging out or I went there with my niece recently.

And that is devil dogs, baby. Devil dogs in the South Loop, particularly. It's just so casual. I don't need, like if I'm being wine to dine and we're having business, this man, I don't need all the formalities. I don't need the guy coming with a little scraper to clean up my crumbs at the plate. You know what I mean? Like, I don't need that. I just need to get up to that computer, get myself a dog and some fries, and they do have the best shake.

So in a shocker, I'm going with devil dogs. We have offended a texter. Uh-oh. Again? 815 says, Simple plan is pop punk, not emo. Well. Nice going, Leila. Was that you?

Was that you? Get out of here. Go on. Get out of here. You know what you did. Do yourself a favor. Go listen to my chemical romance, the black parade, and it's not my problem.

And that's, so seriously, my chemical romance is considered emo? If it's not, what is? I mean, I don't know. I was like literally asking because I always thought that was pop. I did think that that was pop punk. Well, I think there's like a cross. This is a text. I'm sure a texter will say I'm wrong as well,

but I think there's some crossover here. There's a Venn diagram situation going with some of these. I don't have all the answers. I mean, maybe in 2008, that was an applicable battle to fight, but I fear in 2026 the effect might be lost. It does sound cooler to call it emo than pop punk. I'm sure that the blink 182s of the world probably don't like being called pop punk, even though that's what they are.

I was going to say, aren't they? Yeah, Green Day, same thing. They're pop punk, which is fine. Very good bands, but that's what they are. I like it. I feel like we sprayed to all fields today. We're getting you ready for Cup baseball on this Thursday, so let's do a little pregame.

Craig Counsel and more next. Rahimi Harrison Grody. Oh, sorry, but... Watch your own profanity. You said Papa the mind. No, no. You know what? You've got to let it flow.

Our poor producer Ray spilled his coffee. So thanks for christening our studio over here. No, no. It's okay. Midday's 10 to 2 on 1043, the score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie. you ready for Cubs baseball here on 104-3 the score. In fact, they take on the Reds at Wrigley.

Pre-game begins next at 1245 with first pitch at 120 and crystal clear FM quality on 104-3, the score and the Northwestern Medicine Cubs radio network. Then at 6 p.m. it is the next edition of the Scores championship summer as we replay the top 16 games of the Cubs 2016 season. Tonight you will hear the Cubs dramatic walk off. win against the Nationals on Mother's Day in 2016. I remember. I was there. We were both there.

That's awesome. That's right here on the score and the Odyssey app. I was late for Mother's Day that day. The flowers I had in the car went bad. That's why I remember that because I went right to my parents after that game. That game went into many innings and I recall it being very long. Yeah. It's the Bayez game, right?

The Baez game winning with the pink bat, I believe. That was the one when we were all waiting for. It's like, let us go. It's Mother's Day. Well, sorry, Gene. Yeah. But you're going to see her for Mother's Day. I am. I'm going to see my parents. I'm doing a whole Mother's Day special this weekend.

The Mark Grady, Mother's Day special. Yeah. On the score. The most important Mother's Day special you'll ever, ever attend. Awesome. In the meantime, Craig Counsel spoke before the game. He gave us an update on Matthew Boyd. What more did you guys learn about the potential timeline for him?

Yeah, I mean, I think it's kind of the minor meniscus surgery. So, you know, we know he's going to miss the month, six weeks. You know, it's probably closer to six weeks. I think that's with getting him ramp back up. That's what we're hopeful for. Obviously, we see how it all goes. And, you know, I think the important thing is how much time do we miss of, like, throwing. That's probably the biggest thing right here.

the knee's going to recover pretty quickly, but how much throwing down time do we have to take? What's it called? John, I wasn't talking to you. John? Menisectomy. Yeah. There you go. That's what it is. That's what it's called.

Don't ask me any more questions about that. Or names. No, I don't. Yeah, it was, you know, the minor thing where they just have to close. flip it and then it should be good. Craig, what consideration in any are you giving to moving from into the road page? Or is he too valuable? What is it?

I think just covering the innings here is kind of what we're thinking about. So, yeah, that's one of the things we've talked about, absolutely. When you do that and talk about that, you have to now have kind of a boy using him in one inning's instance. then like when you use him I mean I know you I think it's only been one one innings stick it's going to have to be like two plus as you're getting this out

yeah I mean I think overall I mean that's really my goal with Ben period is to keep him in bigger bigger outings just because I think he's capable of kind of like carrying that innings load and I think it's a good

contrast to the other guys we have in the bullpen but really like I said we're just trying to think about the innings puzzle moving forward here and then you're also just trying to think about like we've just got to consider like what's next you know you have to play that game unfortunately we always have to play that game you just have what do we do if something else happens you know what I mean so we just have to make sure we're covered there when you talk about that you you you you foresee having to build in semi bullpen days for starting games out,

knowing you have to continue to build a side. Yeah, I mean, I don't think we have anybody completely stretched out as a starter right now. So, you know, that means we're going to, that's what I'm talking about, the puzzle. Like, we're just going to have to put that together. It's hard. For that spot in the near future, you're just always going to have to use that. Yeah, we'll just see what we get there on that day and what that means. Just a day off for safe.

Yeah, yeah. Guys get injured all the time, but when it's a freak injury like this, does that make it more harder for you? No, I mean, look, look, we, you know, these things happen. This is how a lot of meniscus injuries have said that, yes, this is how a lot of meniscus injuries happen. It's not necessarily like, you know, when you're pitching, it happens on a kind of a bad, you take a bad step in normal life, and it happens. So, you know, I feel, I actually think this is more normal than it. It sounds not normal, but it is, it can be, you know. So it's part of this thing when you're, when you're using, you know, your body to make a living, you're at risk.

That is Craig Counsel, live from Wrigley Field. This is 100, this is 104.3, the score. What was I going to see? I don't know. What are you laughing about? I was going to be great. I was about to be great. This is 100.

100.4.3 point like after all that, we're going to change it to 100. From the dishwasher, Grody. This is live from the dishwasher on the score. We're 104.4.3 from the dishwasher. I am a dishwasher. I am a dishwasher. What the heck? You are a dishwasher. You know what your new name is? Cascade. That's a nice name. Cascade is also a very successful DJ. Oh, yeah?

You've heard the songs. I'll play them later later. You know I love DJs. Ever since that one day at Gallagher Way last year when What's his name was there? and John Summit was there and it was a musical moment. You loved the DJ at Circa too. I did. Yeah. I did.

Yeah, he was great. You were there, Grody? Yeah, man. Oh, in Vegas? Yeah, they let me go to Circa. Can you believe that? Baby T. By the way, yeah.

Yes in Vegas. Can I just throw something at you here really quick with baby T? Yeah. Baby T. Do, if you can, really quickly, do your impersonation of me impersonating you. Okay, here goes, hey, Grody, what's up? Yes.

Yeah. Are you aware that he keeps trying to take you under his wing, whether or not you want to go? I'm fully aware. You're on board, baby team? I'm on board. Are you giving your consent, baby, too. I need you to know that you don't have to do it. I am always recruiting meatballs.

That's what it is. Like that is what I once was. You got a big old meatball right here. Yeah, I know. Like he was, you were talking in the pre-show about Aaron Rogers being like the person that you hate most in your life. And you have the luxury of that at this point that you don't hate anybody more than somebody you don't know. Baby T's blood boils over Aaron Rogers. Yeah.

That's more like it. In the meantime, a couple notes from Craig Campbell here. Yes, please, please. Thank you. Say, Suzuki has the day off. You think that had to do with the old two out? The two-run sacrifice flight. Oh, yeah.

You've lost depth perception. We need you to go ahead. You like sitting down. We know that. Oh, man. He didn't deserve that for me. He didn't. No, he's been hitting really well.

And then Craig Counsel is saying that nobody is stretched out right now. So they'll address it when they can. I kept just calling it a puzzle. It's a puzzle. It's a puzzle. We've got to put together. But I don't know who we're putting in the puzzle. We're missing pieces to the puzzle.

Nothing was as perturbed as when he answered. I think it was the answer to a backup. outfielder question and he replied with coin flip. But why do I feel like he's, he hasn't been able to address the situation of who will be stretched out to start? She doesn't know. The good news out of all of that though, and I did, I mean, it is, I guess, not the worst case scenario saying that it could be the six-week variety as opposed to the end-of-season variety. So that is good news that we probably will see Matthew Boyd pitching again with the Chicago Cubs this year.

Knock on wood, knock on wood right now. There you go. There it is. There you go. So Conforto starting in right field today. Yeah, what's the rest of the lineup you got there? I can give it to you right now, Leila, as I put on my old man readers. Adico Horner leading off and playing second base.

Marshall would love this. Moises by Astero's is batting second, and he is the DH. Yeah. Alex Bregman, batting third and playing third. Ian Hap, Apo home run last night. Easy to forget that and all the hyperactivity at the end. Reds killer. But he is a Reds killer, man.

He talks about that with us last time he was on. Ian Hap is the cleanup hitter and playing left field like he does. Michael Bush batting fifth and playing first. There he is. Michael Conforto batting sixth and playing right field with Sayas Suzuki, as Layla mentioned, getting the day off today. Dansby is batting seventh and playing Sharstop. Pete Crowe Armstrong is your number eight hitter

and playing center field and Miguel Amaya getting the catching assignment for the Cubs. Shota Imanaga, the starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs with his two-something ERA. And hopefully he continues to be the 2024 Shota that he has been here in 2026. Yeah, 3 and 2, 240 ERA with 43 strikeouts. And the Imanaga, Miguel Amaya, pairing is hype. I think they really enjoy working with each other. Yeah, I like that. I like that for both of them.

and I like the Cubs catching situation is nice. It really is. Like Carson, Kelly, Miguel, Amaya, have two really competent catchers. He's a good thing. And Moises-Biosteros is at least doing some stuff. He's there. So there's that.

He's doing some stuff. Yep. He caught a game with Matthew Boyd pitching. Don't know if we want to see it again, but he's doing some stuff. Thanks, Ray Diaz. Thanks, Tyler Ferengul. Thank you to Brandon Friar.

Thanks to Carter O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, Max Curtis, Cody Westerlund, and Danny Parkins were coming on the show today. That's Danny. That was a live look at Danny Parkins. Cubs baseball is next.