Daniel Nava feels like himself again; His bat clicking since June recall

By Maureen Mullen / Boston Globe

Photo: Daniel Nava follows through on his pivotal three-run home run against the Yankees on Tuesday.

For the most part, it seems Daniel Nava has been under the Red Sox radar this season. Which is at least better than April 22, when he had fallen off the radar and was sent back to Triple-A Pawtucket. Nava went from being the Opening Day leadoff hitter to batting .149 on his way back.

But since his June 2 recall — his third big league stint this season — Nava is batting .308, with a .378 on-base percentage entering Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays, where Nava went 0 for 2 in Boston’s 4-3 win at Fenway. Among American League batters with at least 200 plate appearances in that span, he is eighth in OBP and 10th in average.

His overall numbers this season, though — .262/.338/.342 — will not approach the career highs he posted last season of .303/.385/.445, thanks in part to his early struggles. But, at this point in the season, Nava is looking for a strong finish.

“I think if you ask any player, your individual season comes secondary to what you see in the standings and where we are,” he said. “So that’s obviously the frustrating part about where we are in teams of not going to the playoffs. But personally, it’s been a different season, up and down. So I’m just trying to finish strong.’’

Nava attributes the improvements in his production to the work he did with Pawtucket batting coach Dave Joppie, who noticed that his batting stance had gotten much wider than it had been.

With just 18 extra-base hits, though, his slugging percentage is more than 100 points below last

season’s mark. He has just three home runs in 93 games this season, compared to 12 in 134 games last season. His three-run home run Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium was his first homer since April 15, a career-long span of 245 homerless at-bats.

“Since I’m not a big power hitter, my hands are a big [factor],” Nava said. “So I was limiting my ability to let my hands work by being wider. And that’s what he said, so I was like, ‘All right, thanks for telling me.’ ”

Nava, 31, is one of five outfielders on the active roster who are all looking for playing time. With the addition of Yoenis Cespedes and Allen Craig at the trade deadline and the emergence of Mookie Betts, playing time has become harder to find. Manager John Farrell said Friday Nava’s play has earned the switch-hitter at-bats against righthanded pitchers.

“I knew coming in this year what my role was,” Nava said. “And obviously with the moves and stuff that were made, I’m glad that I’ve gotten a chance to play as much as I have. What remains with the future as far as how much I play this year or next year, I’m not worried about that.’’

The player with the great back story — former college team manager, plucked from independent baseball, who hit a grand slam on the first major league pitch he saw and hit the decisive three-run homer in the emotional first game after the Marathon bombings last season — has become a fan favorite. But his name churned through the rumor mill at the trade deadline and into August. Now, he is one of nine outfielders on the 40-man roster.

He knows the Red Sox have a lot of decisions to make and questions to answer in the offseason. He doesn’t know what that means for him.

“Well, we will see what happens,” said Nava. “I think that’s the best way I can look at it.’’

He’s happy his numbers have improved over what they were earlier in the season. But there are still a few things he’d like to accomplish before the season ends.

“I’d like to hit a home run every game,” he said with a laugh, before turning more serious. “I just want to finish strong.’’

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