Three days after he was released from his minor league contract, the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed outfielder Daniel Nava to a minor league deal. Nava will continue rehabbing from his back surgery, which will have him out until at least early May and it’s possible that he won’t return to action until June.
The 35-year-old Nava missed time in 2017 with a back injury as well. He batted .301/.393/.421 in 80 games for the Philadelphia Phillies last year, so he hit well when he was healthy.
When he was released on Tuesday, the Pirates expressed interest in bringing him back to continue his rehab, with hopes that he could help the big league club in the second half. While nothing was announced, his initial free agent deal likely included an opt out and needed to be reworded due to his injury.