Boyd covered 4.2 innings in Tuesday's 3-1 exhibition loss to the Pirates, surrendering three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Boyd tossed 92 pitches in what will likely be his final Grapefruit League outing ahead of a potential Opening Day assignment March 28 in Toronto. With Michael Fulmer (elbow) opting for season-ending Tommy John surgery, Boyd enters the upcoming campaign as the clear top starter in a beleaguered Detroit rotation and looks poised to build on what was a promising if unspectacular 2018 campaign. Per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, Boyd's fastball has been sitting around 91-to-93 miles per hour this spring, a decent uptick from the 90 mph he averaged in 2018. The spike in velocity may at least partially explain why Boyd has racked up 20 strikeouts in 18 innings during the exhibition slate.