Outfielder Daniel Nava, who underwent back surgery last month, has been released by the Pirates, a source confirmed to DKPittsburghSports.com Tuesday night.
Nava, 35, signed a minor-league contract this offseason and is out 10 to 12 weeks, but the club plans to try to re-sign him once he recovers. He reported to spring training at Pirate City and participated in a handful of workouts before he was held out for what the team described as lower back discomfort.
Following Nava's diagnosis, the Pirates acquired three outfielders — Bryce Brentz, Michael Saunders and Corey Dickerson. Brentz is currently competing for the club's final bench spot, but Neal Huntington told reporters Tuesday that they could opt for an additional relief pitcher instead of a bench bat.
Nava, a switch-hitter, showed impressive discipline at the plate with 38 strikeouts to 26 walks last season. However, he struggled against left-handed pitching. He’s batted just .211/.296/.293 against lefties in his major league career, compared to .281/.374/.404 against right-handers.
He had a breakout season for the Red Sox in 2013, batting .303 with 12 home runs and 66 RBI in a career-high 134 games, but his production has dipped significantly. Nava has not played more than 60 major league games in one season since, and he’s bounced around between the Red Sox, Rays, Angels, Royals and Phillies.