Boyd was named the Tigers' Opening Day starter Monday and will get the ball April 1 against Cleveland, William Ladson of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran lefty earns the honor for the second season in a row. He wouldn't get the nod on many teams following a season in which he struggled to a 6.71 ERA, but the Tigers' wave of young pitching prospects hasn't been fully established yet, making him the clear top choice with Spencer Turnbull sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.

Boyd allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk across four innings of work in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. He struck out four.

EDGE Analysis

Boyd surrendered a leadoff home run but settled in nicely after that and looked sharp while tossing 60 pitches. He now has seven strikeouts across his last seven Grapefruit League innings, which is right in line with the 9.0 K/9 he registered in 12 starts last season, and he has a spring ERA of 2.00. If the lefty can get closer to his 2019 K/9 of 11.6 this year, he should once again be a solid fantasy asset, even if he doesn't deliver a great ERA or win total.

Boyd allowed one run across three innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He gave up three hits and a walk, while striking out three.

EDGE Analysis

Boyd is off to a solid start this spring, allowing just one run through five innings of work with four strikeouts. It would be nice to see the lefty begin generating more strikeouts in his upcoming Grapefruit League starts, as his K/9 fell to 9.0 last season after sitting at 11.6 in 2019. If Boyd can get the whiffs back up, he should be able to maintain fantasy value even if he struggles with his ratios and wins.

Boyd tossed two scoreless innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He walked two and struck out one.

EDGE Analysis

Boyd made his Grapefruit League debut and was solid against a New York lineup that had most of its regulars. The lefty struggled with a 6.71 ERA and 1.48 WHIP last season, but he also acknowledged pitching through a hamstring injury and plantar fasciitis, which could have impacted his mechanics. If Boyd looks healthy and effective this spring, he could be primed for a bounceback 2021 campaign.

Boyd tossed 41 pitches in a bullpen session Thursday and is reportedly ahead of his normal schedule at this point in the spring, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

This is encouraging news early in camp, as Boyd acknowledged that he pitched through a hamstring injury and plantar fasciitis last season. The ailments might have contributed to his subpar 6.71 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, but if he's healthier in 2021, the lefty could return to his 2019 form, when he registered a 4.56 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 238 strikeouts across 185.1 innings.

Boyd pitched through a hamstring injury suffered during summer training camp, and then later with plantar fasciitis in his left foot over his last couple of starts, Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

It wasn't enough to put Boyd on the IL, but perhaps it should have, as he turned in a 6.71 ERA with 15 homers allowed. "Physically, it affected me in terms of being able to repeat my delivery," Boyd said Monday. "There was no pain for the majority of the year, but my mechanics moved and adapted to where I wasn't able to do the same things on the mound that I used to." The southpaw saw his K% tumble from a career-high 30.2 percent in 2019 to 23.3 percent last season, so perhaps a return to health will allow him to regain some dominance.

Boyd and the Tigers reached a one-year, $6.5 million deal Friday, avoiding arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Boyd received a fairly hefty salary from the Tigers for the 2021 season, and the two sides won't require an arbiter since they were able to strike a deal before Friday's deadline. The lefty logged a 6.71 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over 60.1 innings across 12 starts in 2020 and will attempt to bounce back in 2021.

Boyd (2-7) allowed five earned runs on five hits across five innings to take the loss Sunday against Cleveland. He walked one and struck out three.

EDGE Analysis

Boyd was unable to duplicate the success from his most recent start, when he tossed 5.2 scoreless innings, and instead reverted back to the poor form he's shown for much of the season. The lefty allowed a two-run home run to Jose Ramirez, and he's now given up 14 long balls in just 54.1 innings. Boyd will carry an unsightly 6.96 ERA into his next outing, which is scheduled for Saturday against the Royals.

Boyd (2-6) threw 5.2 innings of two-hit ball during the Tigers' 6-0 victory over the Royals on Tuesday. He walked four and struck out five without allowing a run.

EDGE Analysis

Boyd picked up his second win in four starts. It was his first appearance without allowing a run in 2020. The effort dropped his season ERA 6.75, which still represents his worst campaign outside of a brief 2015 call-up. Boyd will draw the Indians in his next start over the weekend.

Boyd (1-6) took the loss after giving up seven runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and four walks over three innings Wednesday against the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

The left-hander had a 2.60 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in his previous three starts entering Wednesday, but he found minimal success against the Brewers. Boyd has a 7.63 ERA and 1.60 WHIP through 43.2 innings, and he'll try to turn the page next week against the Royals.