Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Socrates Brito has reportedly elected to sit out the remainder of the 2020 MLB season ... after his brother tragically passed away from COVID-19.
27-year-old Brito had been spending his time at the team's alternate site after not making the roster at the beginning of the season ... and was part of the 60-man player pool eligible to be brought up.
MLB Network's Jon Heyman says Socrates' brother passed last week ... which sparked his decision to head home.
What's even scarier, Brito was diagnosed with COVID earlier this year .