Nava appeared in 80 games for the Phillies in 2017, hitting .301/.393/.421. He did not appear at any level in 2018 while recovering from back surgery. He'll have a chance to return to affiliated baseball if he proves to be healthy and effective in indy ball, though at age 36, his chances of appearing in the majors again may be slim.

Nava, who signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates in the offseason, saw his bid for an Opening Day roster spot come to a close after requiring back surgery in February. With the 35-year-old having yet to even take batting practice in just about five months, it's looking increasingly unlikely that he'll play at any level in 2018.

He has not yet played in a game this year at any level after undergoing back surgery in late February, and now it sounds like he will be delayed even longer. Consider Nava, who is set to open at Triple-A once healthy, out indefinitely.

It's merely a procedural move since Nava isn't expected to be at full strength until at least mid-May following back surgery in late February. The Pirates released Nava from his initial minor-league deal and re-signed him last week so as to avoid paying him a retention bonus, allowing the outfielder to continue to rehab in Florida under the supervision of the organization's training staff.