Nootbaar left Thursday's game against the Nationals in the seventh inning due to a rib cage injury, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

The team stated that the move was precautionary and Nootbaar is expected to be back in the lineup Friday. While that's positive news, it is worth noting that he nursed a similar issue that cost him two games from late June into early July