CHICAGO -- The Twins activated catcher Mitch Garver and optioned catcher Willians Astudillo before tonight's game (7:15, FSN) at Wrigley Field vs. the Cubs.

Garver missed 27 games because of an intercostal strain and is hitting only .154 with one home run a season after his 30-homer breakthrough.

Astudillo moves to the taxi squad. He is hitting .250 in eight games after missing the start of the season because of COVID-19.

Starter Jake Odorizzi was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a right middle finger blister, effectively ending his regular season; he'll be eligible to return on the season's final day. Sean Poppen was activated off the taxi squad.

The Twins lost three of four to the White Sox to fall three games behind in the American League Central and are now trying to hold off the Yankees for home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Twins can clinch at playoff berth tonight with a win, a Tigers loss to Cleveland and a Seattle loss to San Diego.

Kyle Hendricks (5-4, 3.29) will start for the Cubs against lefthander Rich Hill (2-1, 3.81). The last time the Twins won a regular season game at Wrigley came on June 19, 2015 when Phil Hughes beat Hendricks 7-2.

Hill was drafted by the Cubs in 2002 and made his big league debut for them in 2005. He's 11-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 30 career games in Wrigley.

The Twins are 10-4 in interleague play with six interleague games remaining.

Chicago is 5½ games ahead of second place Cincinnati, which ends the season next weekend at Target Field, in the NL Central.

The Twins (31-21) are a game ahead of the streaking Yankees (29-21), who are in Boston for the weekend. If the AL playoffs started today, it would No. 8 Houston at No. 1 Chicago White Sox, No. 7 Toronto at No. 2 Tampa Bay, No. 6 Cleveland at No. 3 Oakland and the No. 5 Yankees at the No. 4 Twins.

Thursday's controversial Josh Donaldson ejection is the topic of today's Twins Insider Podcast with Michael Rand.

Chip Scoggins is also at Wrigley tonight as he starts his Chicago-Notre Dame-Indianapolis road swing this weekend.

TWINS

Byron Buxton, CF

Josh Donaldson, 3B

Nelson Cruz, DH

Eddie Rosario, LF

Miguel Sano, 1B

Mitch Garver, C

Jake Cave, RF

Jorge Polanco, SS

Marwin Gonzalez, 2B

CUBS

Anthony Rizzo, 1B

Kris Bryant, 3B

Willson Contreras, C

Kyle Schwarber, LF

Javier Baez, SS

Jason Heyward, RF

Cameron Maybin, CF

Jason Kipnis, DH

Nico Hoerner, 2B

Mitch Garver portrait by Carlos Gonzalez