Shortly before the start of Tuesday's contest against the Cubs, the Pirates were informed that outfielder Socrates Brito will be opting out of the remainder of the 2020 season following the death of his brother. MLB Network's Jon Heyman broke the news that Brito's brother passed away from COVID-19 last week.
Pirates org OF Socrates Brito’s brother passed away from Covid-19 last week and so he has decided to opt out this season.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 1, 2020
Brito himself had tested positive for the coronavirus prior to the start of the 2020 season. His positive test resulted in him arriving late to the Pirates summer training camp in mid-June.
The 27-year-old outfielder saw no regular season action for the Pirates. He was a participant in all three scrimmages the club had against the Indians shortly before opening day. Brito, along with a handful of others were optioned to Altoona to serve as members of the club's player pool.
Entering the start of the season, Brito served as one of the options to fill Gregory Polanco's spot on the major league roster when he too tested positive for COVID-19. However, the club went a different route, using free agent signing Guillermo Heredia along with moving former first round pick Cole Tucker to the outfield.
Pittsburgh originally acquired Brito as a free agent signing, inking him to a minor league deal and offering him an invite to spring training on December 17 of last year.
Brito had spent the past four years with the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays, serving as a bench player for both clubs. He has appeared in 99 games throughout his career, slashing .179/.216/.309 with five home runs and 18 RBIs.
The Pirates have yet to release a statement on Brito opting out. We will update this story when a comment is provided.
