• The Braves, one of Philly’s rivals, are also looking to address their infield. Third base is high atop the team’s wish list, GM Alex Anthopoulos revealed, as David O’Brien of The Athletic tweets. Ideally, the club will land a “big bat” there (Josh Donaldson, one of the Braves’ premier players in 2019, is a free agent). They’re also seeking a defensively capable backup at the hot corner. If the Braves aren’t able to find a high-impact hitter for the position, though, Anthopoulos indicated they’re open to adding one in their outfield.
• Matt Duffy has drawn interest from a variety of organizations, some of which may view him as a utility option, per MLBTR’s Steve Adams (Twitter link). Duffy, whom the Rays released toward the end of last month, has experience at both middle infield spots, third base and the outfield corners. The 28-year-old has had a couple successful major league seasons as a hitter, but injuries helped limit him to a punchless .252/.343/.327 line with one home run over 169 plate appearances in 2019.
• Righty Casey Kelly seems primed for a return to the majors, with MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweeting that he’s “drawing interest” from MLB teams. Once an elite prospect with the Red Sox, Kelly largely floundered in the majors in parts of four seasons with the Padres, Braves and Giants from 2012-18. However, the 30-year-old Kelly may have put himself back on the big league map in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2019, when he logged a 2.55 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 in 180 1/3 innings as a member of the LG Twins.
• Outfielder Daniel Nava is in San Diego lobbying for a return to the bigs, per John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston. Nava, known for his on-base skills in the majors from 2010-17, didn’t play at all in 2018 because of injuries and then didn’t suit up in affiliated ball last season. The 36-year-old instead spent almost all of 2019 as a member of the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association.
• Like Nava, left-hander Phil Coke is at the meetings trying to drum up major league interest, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets. Coke, who says he’s healthy after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018, had a respectable MLB run with several teams from 2008-16. He hasn’t pitched professionally since suiting up in the Mexican League in 2018.

It will still be some time before Nava hits the field, as he underwent back surgery in late February that carried a 10-to-12 week recovery timeline.  Back and hamstring problems limited Nava to just 214 plate appearances in a part-time role for the Phillies last season, though the veteran made the most of his playing time, hitting .301/.393/.421 with four homers and displaying good plate discipline (26 walks against just 38 strikeouts).  It was a solid comeback year for Nava, who bounced around between four different organizations in 2015-16 and managed just a .574 OPS over 314 big league PA.

The Pirates’ addition of Corey Dickerson dimmed Nava’s chances of regular playing time on the 25-man roster, though the 35-year-old Nava still carries value as a backup and pinch-hit option against right-handed pitching.  Nava will surely be placed on the 60-day DL as he continues to recover from his surgery, so the signing won’t require Pittsburgh to make any 40-man roster moves.

More from the NL…

• Brewers southpaw Wade Miley exited his outing Wednesday with a strained left groin and will undergo an MRI, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com was among those to report (Twitter links here). That’s obviously not ideal for Miley, who’s vying for a place in the Brewers’ rotation, or the team, which isn’t yet sure who will occupy the final two starting spots behind Chase Anderson, Jhoulys Chacin and Zach Davies. Miley looked like a front-runner to earn one of those jobs prior to Wednesday – manager Craig Counsell said that “Wade had made a really good case to be on the team” – though that’s up in the air as we await further news on his injury. It’s also worth noting that the 31-year-old can opt out of his minor league deal as early as Thursday.
• Lefty reliever Boone Logan also left the Brewers’ game with an injury, McCalvy relays (Twitter links). Counsell attributed his departure to triceps/shoulder discomfort, but he’s not yet sure of the severity. Logan joined the Brewers for a guaranteed $2.75MM over the winter after spending a shortened 2017 in Cleveland, where his season ended in July on account of a strained lat muscle.
• Having allowed six earned runs on 15 hits in eight innings this spring, Mets righty Zack Wheeler isn’t a lock to be part of the team’s season-opening rotation, Mike Puma and Fred Kerber of the New York Post report. If Wheeler doesn’t show well against Washington on Thursday, the Mets could elect to give the fifth spot in their starting staff to Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo, the reporters add. But any of Wheeler, Gsellman or Lugo would likely be a placeholder, as the Mets just need a fill-in while Jason Vargas recovers from surgery on his non-pitching hand. The other four spots in their rotation belong to Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz.
• The Pirates expect to re-sign free agent outfielder Daniel Nava, Liz Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Pittsburgh released Nava on Tuesday, but general manager Neal Huntington suggested at the time that the team would like to bring him back. Nava is still on the mend from February back surgery, and the Pirates want him to rehab as a member of their organization. “We anticipate him being a second-half contributor to the major league team,” said Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomcyzk, who noted that “the sooner we can get our hands on him, is the better.”

This might not be the end of Nava’s days in Pittsburgh, however, as Pirates GM Neal Huntington told reporters (including Liz Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that he hopes to re-sign Nava to a new deal “to continue his rehab and hopefully help our Major League club later this summer.”  A reunion certainly seems possible, as Nava might prefer to take a new contract now rather than wait until he is healthy to explore options with other teams.

Whatever the scenario, the outfielder will surely draw some interest given his strong track record against right-handed pitching.  The switch-hitting Nava owns a .281/.374/.404 slash line in 1541 career plate appearances against righties, and he enjoyed a solid (albeit injury-shortened) season with the Phillies in 2017.  Nava hit .301/.393/.421 in 214 PA for the Phils, reviving his career after struggling through lackluster years in 2015-16.

At the time of his signing, Nava was viewed as a likely candidate to earn a share of a corner outfield platoon. But that had already come into question with the team’s recent acquisition of Corey Dickerson, who is now expected to see near-regular duty.

With the news of the surgery added in, Nava’s outlook in Pittsburgh is decidedly unclear. That’s not to say that it’s a particularly concerning medical outlook; rather, he’s said to be slated for a microdiscectomy, a fairly common procedure that will presumably enable Nava to return without pain.

Rather, it’s increasingly difficult to see how Nava will fit on the roster. While he’s a switch-hitter, the 35-year-old has long been utilized mostly against right-handed pitching. The results support that usage, as Nava has nearly a 200-point platoon spread in his career OPS numbers.

With Dickerson and Gregory Polanco on two corners, the Bucs already have a pair of lefty outfield bats. And switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell likely won’t be asked to sit down very often. With Pittsburgh already carrying two third basemen (Colin Moran and David Freese) and two infield/outfield capable utility players (Adam Frazier and Sean Rodriguez), at most there’ll only be one more bench opening available. Of course, things could look quite a lot different once Nava is ready to return.

Nava, who’ll turn 35 in a few weeks, had a nice bounceback campaign last year with the cross-state Phillies. He was limited to eighty games of action owing to injuries, which also perhaps prevented him from being dealt to a contender in the middle of the season, but turned in an undeniably productive overall effort.

Over 214 total plate appearances, Nava slashed a robust .301/.393/.421. Though he managed only four home runs, he exhibited a command of the strike zone (just 38 strikeouts with 26 walks) of the type that led to his prior MLB success.

Of course, teams were no doubt also wary given that Nava had struggled over the prior several campaigns. While he grades as a solid defender in the corner outfield, he isn’t exactly a prime asset with the glove. And Nava is pretty clearly a strict platoon asset: the switch-hitter has long been far more successful against right-handed than left-handed pitching.

For the Bucs, those limitations are just fine. As middling as his production has been against southpaws, Nava dominated (.341/.423/.474) when hitting with the platoon advantage last year. He ought to have a fair shot at earning a MLB roster spot in camp. Odds are — as the Pirates’ updated depth chart suggests — he’ll end up in a time share in the corner outfield.

While the activation of a veteran role player from the disabled list isn’t necessarily significant in a vacuum, Nava’s return stands out a bit more due to his status as a fairly straightforward trade candidate for the Phillies. Prior to landing on the DL, Nava ranked near the top of MLBTR’s weekly ranking of August trade candidates owing to his affordable $1.35MM salary and his solid .298/.390/.427 batting line through 200 plate appearances.

Nava will now have at least a few days to demonstrate his health to contenders seeking a veteran bench bat for the stretch run. While he won’t command a significant return, the switch-hitter’s .347/.427/.492 slash through 143 plate appearances from the left side of the plate ought to hold some level of allure for clubs looking to round out a roster down the stretch and into the postseason. Nava holds a career .281/.374/.405 batting line as a left-handed hitter, though he has posted fairly weak numbers as a right-handed hitter both in 2017 and throughout his career.

Nava will earn only another $273K through the end of the season, so his salary shouldn’t be difficult to fit for many teams. While any acquisition requires a 40-man spot, clubs won’t need to worry much about active roster space with September about a week away. A niche player such as Nava can have added value, in the right circumstances, at this stage of the season — when active roster limitations go out the window and every edge is needed to eke out wins.

A bit more from the game’s Eastern divisions…

• The Phillies announced tonight that outfielder Daniel Nava has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a lower back strain. The veteran Nava’s injury is especially noteworthy given the fact that he seemed a logical August trade candidate for the Phils. The 33-year-old switch-hitter hasn’t done much against left-handed pitching this year — he’s always been weaker as a right-handed bat — but he’s clubbed righty pitching at a .347/.427.492 clip through 143 PAs and could’ve been a solid bench addition for a contender. There’s still time for Nava to get back and demonstrate his health to interested parties, but his back injury clearly diminishes the chances of a trade.
• Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes that Orioles GM Dan Duquette has a long history of making August deals — six in the past five years — but opines that there’s not much worth pursuing for the O’s this summer. Baltimore’s greatest need is starting pitching, but the remaining available arms are mostly fringe fifth starters that don’t represent a clear upgrade over the Orioles’ current options. Nonetheless, Connolly states that he does find it likely that Duquette and his staff make some kind of move, noting that the Orioles have “always had a little interest in” Derek Holland and are quite familiar with Miguel Gonzalez — both currently pitching for the rebuilding White Sox. I’d agree with Connolly that neither seems to represent an upgrade, though the O’s could probably acquire either pitcher primarily in exchange for salary relief.
• Rays right-hander Jose De Leon is on the minor league disabled list for the third time this season, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. De Leon, who has previously dealt with forearm/flexor issues, now has tendinitis in his right elbow, per Topkin. It’s been a frustrating first season with the Rays organization for De Leon — a highly touted pitching prospect that was acquired in a straight-up swap that sent Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers. De Leon has appeared in just one big league game with the Rays and has only 38 1/3 minor league innings under his belt, though he’s logged a 3.05 ERA with 44-to-16 K/BB ratio in the minors when healthy.

The move likely eliminates Nava as a possible trade piece. He had seemed to be a possible bench bat target for some organizations, but now teams looking for an option against right-handed pitching will need to look elsewhere.

Of course, it’s still possible Nava could be moved in August, if he’s able to makeit back to health. Though he isn’t earning much money (just $1.35MM), Nava is not a long-term asset, so he could clear waivers or be dealt to a claiming team. The trade return likely wouldn’t be significant, though that was always the case.

The 34-year-old switch-hitter has knocked around opposing righties to the tune of a .358/.445/.495 slash in 128 plate appearances on the year, with 16 walks against 19 strikeouts. As usual, he has been far less effective (.475 OPS) against left-handed pitching, but it’s also worth noting that Nava has drawn strong grades for his glovework — albeit in a limited sample.

Here’s more from the National League East:

• Things obviously haven’t gone as hoped thus far for the Marlins, though that doesn’t mean president of baseball operations Mike Hill is giving up just yet, as Tim Healey of the Sun-Sentinel reports. Time may be running short to engineer a turnaround, but “there’s no panic” in the organization, says Hill. With lapses cropping up all over the roster, says the veteran executive, “it makes it even harder” to find a solution. For the time being, then, it seems there’s little the club can do but continue to press on.
• Outfielder Christian Yelich is among the Marlins players who has not quite performed to expectations thus far. Now, he’s dealing with a new injury, as Healey reports. Yelich left last night’s game after his right hip flexor tightened up. The club is waiting to see how Yelich feels today before determining the next steps.
• Also leaving his game with a seemingly minor injury was Mets outfielder Jay Bruce, as Christian Red of the New York Daily News reports. Bruce is dealing with lower back tightness, though he says that “hopefully it’s just an isolated incident.” With the Mets still trying to scramble back into contention, the team will surely hope that’s the case. The resurgent Bruce has been one of the club’s most productive players, slashing .250/.331/.513 with 11 home runs over 181 plate appearances.
• The Phillies announced yesterday that outfielder Daniel Nava would head to the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain. That’s unfortunate timing for the 34-year-old, who was off to an excellent start after a rough 2016 season. Through 73 trips to the plate, Nava is slashing a robust .305/.425/.458 with more walks than strikeouts — potentially making him a trade candidate this summer for organizations looking at adding a bench bat.
• With the Phillies struggling to find offensive production, the club ought to consider bringing back Roman Quinn, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice argues. The young outfielder has been particularly productive over the last month at Triple-A, Lawrence notes. He also showed fairly well in a brief debut last year. Though there’s not a clear path to everyday time, Lawrence suggests the Phils could cut back on the plate appearances currently going to the struggling Michael Saunders and even center fielder Odubel Herrera to fit the speedy Quinn into the lineup.
• Two Nationals relievers are showing at least some signs of progress, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports (Twitter link). Sammy Solis and Joe Blanton are at least throwing the baseball at present, though it’s still not clear whether either is yet working off a mound. Solis, in particular, has been a significant question mark given his seeming lack of progress from an inflamed nerve in his elbow. The Nats will hope that both can make it back and bolster a late-inning mix that has been questionable all year long.

• The D-backs announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-handed reliever J.J. Hoover. He’ll fill the 40-man spot that was vacated earlier today when Christian Walker was sent outright to Triple-A. Hoover, 29, inked a minor league deal with the Snakes this offseason after spending parts of the past five seasons — the entirety of his Major League career — with the Reds. Hoover opened the 2016 season as Cincinnati’s closer but quickly lost that job and experienced a rapid decline that ultimately led to his outright off the 40-man roster. As recently as 2015, however, the righty tossed 64 1/3 innings of 2.94 ERA ball with 7.3 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9. Hoover will walk his fair share of batters (career 4.2 BB/9 rate), but he’s also punched out 240 hitters in 242 1/3 Major League frames. As a rather extreme fly-ball pitcher, he may find Chase Field more problematic than some pitchers, though he’s no stranger to homer-friendly parks, thanks to his time in Cincinnati.

Earlier Moves

• The Indians are set to select the contracts of infielders Yandy Diaz and Michael Martinez, per a club announcement. Diaz, 25, enjoyed a strong season split between Cleveland’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, hitting .318/.408/.446 with nine homers and 11 stolen bases. The third baseman/second baseman/outfielder was terrific in Spring Training, hitting .429/.529/.667 with a pair of homers and four doubles during Cactus League play. The 34-year-old Martinez, no stranger to the Indians organization after spending 59 games and the postseason with Cleveland last year, had a similarly strong Spring Training. The veteran utility man batted .357/.379/.536 in 21 spring contests. In parts of six big league seasons, Martinez is a .197/.241/.266 hitter.
• The final two spots on the Phillies’ bench have been won by the well-traveled Daniel Nava and veteran minor leaguer Brock Stassi, per Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link). Nava hit .362/.455/.489 this spring and can serve as a backup to corner outfielders Michael Saunders and Howie Kendrick in the Phillies’ new-look outfield. He also has some experience at first base and could serve as a left-handed complement to Tommy Joseph at times, though the same could be said of the 27-year-old Stassi. A veteran of six minor league seasons and the older brother of Astros backstop Max Stassi, Brock Stasi was emotional in discussing what will be his MLB debut (Twitter video link via Philly Voice’s Ryan Lawrence). A former 33rd-round selection, Stassi reached Triple-A for the first time last season and hit .267/.369/.437 before posting an outstanding .333/.397/.702 batting line and six homers this spring.
• Righty Craig Stammen is back in the majors after being selected to the Padres’ 40-man, per a team announcement. The 33-year-old had long been a steady reliever for the Nationals before he required flexor tendon surgery early in the 2015 season. He didn’t earn a return last year after joining the Indians on a minors deal, but did show he was healthy in throwing 27 1/3 innings of 3.62 ERA ball. Stammen turned things up a notch this spring, allowing just a single earned run on nine hits and five walks over 11 2/3 innings, recording a dozen strikeouts along the way.

• The Braves have Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur on their list of possible trade candidates, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter).  Szczur is out of options and the Cubs intend to keep him, though a 25-man roster spot could be hard to manage given Chicago’s multitude of depth options.  Szczur has a career .245/.297/.376 slash line over 346 PA since debuting with the Cubs in 2014, and he is a right-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions, which fits Atlanta’s known need.  MLB.com’s Mark Bowman recently opined that since the Braves have several out-of-options players, they could deal one such player for another on a rival team.
• Though Kelly Johnson remains unsigned, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo doesn’t feel there’s any chance of another reunion between he and the Mets, especially not as long as Johnson is still looking for an MLB contract.  The Mets are satisfied with their current backup infield mix, and likely wouldn’t check in on Johnson (either via signing or a midseason trade if he signs elsewhere) unless he’s willing to take a minor league deal or if New York develops a need later in the year.
• Sunday is the deadline for the Phillies to either release Chris Coghlan upon request, or place him on their 25-man roster within 48 hours, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports.  In other Phils opt-out news, Daniel Nava can request his release if he isn’t on the Phillies’ Major League roster by June 15.  Coghlan and Nava both signed minor league deals with Philadelphia this winter, though as Zolecki explains, the two veterans are in a tight battle for the Phillies’ two remaining bench spots.
• Koda Glover is a contender to win the Nationals’ closer job, though as Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron notes, the Nats’ decision to use Glover in the ninth inning of spring games is making it difficult to properly evaluate the hard-throwing righty.  Spring Training performances should be taken with a grain of salt anyway, and in Glover’s case, he has faced very few hitters who actually project to be on MLB rosters this season.

• Alex Rodriguez recently said he is retired and does not intend to return to the game, but he tells Cafardo that his decision to leave the playing field behind was a bittersweet one. “It’s never ever out of you,” he says. “I love this game so much. When you’re out here on the grass with my uniform on, you’re always tempted to grab a bat, but I’m also happy with my life.”
• Minor-league signee Daniel Nava has a reasonable chance to make the Phillies’ roster out of camp, according to GM Matt Klentak. “He can play the corner outfield spots, first base, and he’s a switch-hitter, so he’s got a shot,” Klentak says. The one-time Red Sox outfielder batted a modest .223/.297/.292 with the Angels and Royals last season. With Tommy Joseph at first and Howie Kendrick, Odubel Herrera and Michael Saunders around the outfield, Nava could compete with Aaron Altherr, Chris Coghlan and perhaps Tyler Goeddel for spots on the Phillies’ bench.
• At last check, talks between the Nationals and White Sox regarding David Robertson were in “stalemate,” but Cafardo writes that there’s a chance they could be revived. He echoes earlier reports that the White Sox would have interest in Pedro Severino, the youngest member of the Nats’ current catcher logjam.

It has been some time since Nava was a productive major leaguer. He put up a roughly league-average batting line in 2014 with the Red Sox, one year after his breakout 2013 campaign, but owns a modest .208/.307/.268 slash in his 314 plate appearances since that time. Nava is a switch-hitter who is historically much better against right-handed pitching.

While the rebuilding Phillies have added one likely corner outfield piece in Howie Kendrick, and continue to feature Odubel Herrera up the middle, there’s still ample uncertainty in the outfield. Nava will likely join the hunt for work in a platoon or true bench role along with a number of other players — including both prospects and other veterans brought in from outside the organization.

As things stand, younger corner outfield possibilities include right-handed hitters Aaron Altherr and Tyler Goeddel as well as the switch-hitting Roman Quinn. There are a few southpaw-swinging outfield candidates, too, including highly regarded prospects Nick Williams and Dylan Cozens, but it’s not clear whether they’ll be deemed ready for a major role out of the gates.

1:25pm: Right-hander Dillon Gee has elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Gee spent the 2016 season with the Royals but finished the year on the shelf and underwent surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome following the season. Rosenthal notes that Gee is expected to be ready for Spring Training.

Gee, 31 next April, adds another name to a weak market of free-agent starters. The longtime Mets hurler inked a minor league deal with Kansas City last winter and broke camp with the team in Spring Training. Gee ultimately played a fairly significant role with K.C., racking up 125 innings between the bullpen and the rotation (14 starts) and working to a 4.68 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 41 percent ground-ball rate in his first taste of the American League. Those numbers were a bit better prior to a September slump, and it seems fair to assume that Gee’s performance was adversely impacted by his TOS symptoms.

While Gee lost his rotation spot during his final season with the Mets and spent much of that year in Triple-A, he was a regular on the Mets’ starting staff from 2011-14 when he pitched 606 2/3 innings of 4.01 ERA ball with 6.6 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected Gee to earn $3.6MM via arbitration, but he’ll now be able to negotiate with teams around the league. A one-year deal or a minor league pact seems the likeliest outcome for Gee on the heels of two seasons’ worth of mixed results and a notable surgery, but he could prove to be an affordable source of innings at the back of a rotation or in a swingman capacity next year.