The Cubs and Twins open a three-game set Friday night at Wrigley Field with both clubs carrying very different recent stretches into the series.
Chicago enters at 54-42 and Minnesota comes in at 48-49, with the first pitch set for 8:05 p.m. ET.
The pitching matchup for Friday lists Colin Rea for the Cubs and TBA for the Twins. Saturday’s game is scheduled for 2:20 p.m.
ET with Matthew Boyd set to start for Chicago, while Sunday’s finale is also at 2:20 p.m. ET and has Shota Imanaga lined up for the Cubs.
The Twins’ starters for the weekend have not been announced.
The injury report is a major part of the setup on both sides.
Chicago’s list includes Matt Shaw, who is on the 10-day IL with a hand injury after hitting .246/.322/.415 with 4 HR and 20 RBI in 2026. The Cubs also have Daniel Palencia out on the 15-day IL with an elbow injury after going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 10.3 K/9, along with Hoby Milner (appendicitis), Jameson Taillon (hamstring), Ben Brown (neck), Ethan Roberts (forearm), and Edward Cabrera (hamstring) on the 15-day IL.
The 60-day IL group for Chicago is even longer: Riley Martin with an elbow injury, Porter Hodge with an elbow injury, Justin Steele with an elbow injury, Shelby Miller with an elbow injury, Hunter Harvey with a tricep injury, Cade Horton with a forearm injury, and Christopher Austin with a knee injury. Riley Martin’s 2026 line is listed at 0-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 10.8 K/9, while Harvey is at 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 9.0 K/9, and Horton at 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 4.9 K/9.
Minnesota’s injured list is headlined by Byron Buxton, who is on the 10-day IL with a hip injury after posting a .271/.328/.575 line with 25 HR and 45 RBI in 2026. The Twins also have Cole Sands (forearm), Marco Raya (shoulder), and Connor Prielipp (finger) on the 15-day IL.
On the 60-day IL for Minnesota are Pablo Lopez with an elbow injury, Garrett Acton with a shoulder injury, David Festa with a shoulder injury, Anthony Banda with a lat injury, and Mick Abel with an elbow injury. Acton is listed at 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 12.2 K/9, Banda at 2-0 with a 4.46 ERA and 8.7 K/9, and Abel at 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA and 10.2 K/9.
Over their last 10 games, the Cubs are 6-4 while the Twins are 7-3. Chicago has hit 17 home runs in that span compared with 13 for Minnesota.
The Cubs are batting .251 with a .325 on-base percentage and .460 slugging percentage, while the Twins are at .258/.339/.455. On the mound, Chicago has a 5.11 ERA and a .287 batting average against over the last 10 games, while Minnesota has posted a 3.13 ERA and a .214 batting average against.
The Cubs have 7.7 K/9 in that stretch, and the Twins are at 9.6.
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