Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen said he left Tuesday's game "to take a little break" after making a wall-crashing catch to end the third inning.
McCutchen, speaking to reporters after the Pirates' 5-2 win over St. Louis, said he expected to play in the series finale despite exiting in the sixth inning with left rib discomfort. He was back in the lineup and batting third Wednesday.
"Just sore," the Pirates' center fielder said Tuesday. McCutchen returned to action Aug. 19 after missing nearly three weeks with a fractured rib.
Last year's National League MVP is enjoying another impressive campaign, slashing .307/.403/.539 with 20 homers and 17 steals. He is the top offensive player in baseball when adjusting for park and league effect, according to FanGraphs, creating 64 percent more runs than the average player - tied with the Los Angels Angels' Mike Trout.
The Pirates sit 1 1/2 games back of San Francisco for the NL's second wild-card spot and 3 1/2 behind the wild-card leading Cardinals heading into Wednesday's rubber match.