| Date | News | Comment |
| Sep 24 2020 | Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in the 7-0 win over the Cubs on Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Batting right-handed, Bell took Kyle Ryan deep to extend the Pirates' lead to 6-0 in the fifth inning. It marked the slugger's eighth long ball and brought him to 21 RBI on the campaign. |
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| Sep 23 2020 | Bell is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell sits after going 0-for-19 with nine strikeouts in his last seven games, dragging his season slash line down to .221/.296/.354. Colin Moran starts at first base Wednesday, with Jose Osuna serving as the designated hitter. |
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| Sep 18 2020 | Bell is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell started the past 14 games and has a 1.024 OPS during that stretch, but he'll take a seat for Friday's matinee. Jose Osuna receives the start at first base in Game 1. |
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| Sep 15 2020 | Bell went 2-for-6 with a walk and his seventh homer in Monday's doubleheader loss to the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's hit three home runs in his last five games. The 28-year-old has also lifted his batting average to .242, the highest its been since Opening Day. Bell is slashing .464/.516/.821 during an eight-game batting streak covering his last 32 plate appearances. He's 6-for-18 with a double and a homer against Tuesday's starter, Michael Lorenzen. |
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| Sep 13 2020 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His second-inning shot, Bell's sixth homer of the year, got the Pirates on the board. The first baseman has now hit safely in five straight games and gone yard in two straight, pushing his slash line on the season up to .231/.301/.374. |
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| Sep 12 2020 | Bell went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in a 4-3 loss to the Royals on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell is 7-for-14 over his last four games, including his first home run since late August. Bell has been a bit of an enigma in 2020. After strong campaigns to begin his career and a breakout in 2019, he has limped to a .224 average over 143 at-bats this year. Furthermore, Baseball Savant places him in the top 10 percentile for exit velocity while simultaneously near the bottom quarter of the league in expected slugging. |
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| Sep 9 2020 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a double in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The double represented his first extra-base hit in September and the two hits pushed his batting average (.206) back over the Mendoza Line. Bell has had plenty of false starts this season, but he's compiled more walks (three) than strikeouts (one) over his last three games for the first time in 2020. |
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| Sep 3 2020 | Bell is not in Thursday's lineup against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell is hitting .292 with two home runs and an 8:4 K:BB in 24 at-bats over his last seven games. Colin Moran will start at first base while Gregory Polanco gets the nod at designated hitter. |
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| Aug 30 2020 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 5-1 win over Milwaukee. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell took Brandon Woodruff deep to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning. After belting 37 long balls in 2019, expectations were sky high for the first-baseman entering this season. The switch-hitter has had a tough time finding his power stroke thus far, with just four homers across his first 110 at-bats. He will hope that going yard two games in a row can get him in a groove. |
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| Aug 23 2020 | Bell is out of the lineup Sunday against the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell started the past 14 games and had a .578 OPS and 29 percent strikeout rate during that stretch, and he'll take a seat for Sunday's series finale. Colin Moran will cover first base while Gregory Polanco serves as the designated hitter. |
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| Aug 22 2020 | Bell reached base three times Friday, going 2-for-3 with a walk in a 7-2 win over Milwaukee. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He also scored a pair of runs for the first time since Opening Day. Bell, who has shown to be a streaky hitter, could be on the cusp of a turnaround. If nothing else, he's got his batting average back up over the Mendoza Line (.217). |
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| Aug 18 2020 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Tuesday against Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell came through with the majority of the Pirates' offense when he drove a double into the gap in the fifth frame to drive in two. While his performance has been underwhelming this season, Bell now has seven RBI in his last eight starts. Still, his overall line is an abysmal .205/.253/.315 with nine RBI and eight runs scored through 79 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 5 2020 | Bell went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double Wednesday against the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell was one of the few Pirates' hitters able to solve Randy Dobnak, as he smacked a double deep to left field in fourth inning. However, the highlight of his performance came in the final frame, when he caught up to a fastball up in the zone and drove it out of the park to straightaway center field for his second home run of the campaign. Bell has reached base just 11 times in 47 plate appearances to begin the season, though Wednesday's performance showcases the power he is capable of providing. |
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| Aug 2 2020 | Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 28-year-old started the first eight games of the season between first base and designated hitter, but he'll head to the bench Sunday as he is 5-for-31 with a .440 OPS and 11 strikeouts. Jose Osuna will operate at first base for the Pirates in the series finale. |
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| Jul 22 2020 | Bell hit his second summer-camp homer Wednesday against Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old has hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the three-game set against the Indians. Bell batted fifth as the team's designated hitter Wednesday, with Jose Osuna playing at first base. Pittsburgh is looking for a repeat start similar to 2019 from the slugger. Through the team's first 60 contests last year, Bell slashed .333/.398/.685 with 18 homers and 52 RBI. |
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| Jun 25 2020 | Manager Derek Shelton said that he expects Bell to rotate with Gregory Polanco and Colin Moran as the team's designated hitter, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Whether he plays first base or serves as the DH, Bell will be in the lineup nearly every day. "Instead of maybe rest someone that we were going to play in our regular lineup that day, they'll have the ability to get four or five ABs, and I think that's extremely important for us," Shelton said. "We won't go with one person there." While he ranked last in 2019 among qualified first basemen in defensive WAR (-17.5), the 27-year-old figures to retain positional flexibility at first heading into 2021, given Shelton's comments. |
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| Mar 31 2020 | Although new manager Derek Shelton hasn't revealed his preferred lineup, Bell is expected to bat cleanup for the Bucs in 2020. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With No. 3 hitter Starling Marte traded to Arizona, the team will likely turn to Adam Frazier, Kevin Newman or Gregory Polanco to bat ahead of Bell. After a red-hot start to 2019, Bell hit just .232/.342/.476 with 19 homers in his final 371 plate appearances. The switch hitter's splits against left-handed pitching were disappointing -- he slashed just .224/.313/.448 with nine homers in 166 plate appearances. Against right-handers, however, he batted .297/.387/.615 with 32 doubles and 28 homers in 384 PA. He may get pitched around, given that Polanco, Colin Moran and Jose Osuna are likely candidates to bat fifth. As Pittsburgh's only bona fide power hitter, the organization will be counting upon Bell to produce big numbers in 2020. |
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| Feb 15 2020 | Bell is working to improve his throwing mechanics at first base during spring training, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's throwing from a three-quarters slot in hopes of making better throws from first base to second. Bell ranked last in the majors among 14 qualified first basemen with a minus-18.2 defensive WAR. The switch hitter enters his age-27 season with a reason as to why he feels he slumped offensively in last year's second half (he hit .224 after July 6). Bell claims he struggled because he went from synching up fastballs to synching up breaking balls. "I feel like if you're not synching up to the fastballs, you can't hit either," the slugger |
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| Jan 10 2020 | Bell agreed to a one-year, $4.8 million deal with the Pirates on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This is a pretty solid payday for a player's first year in the arbitration process, but it was well deserved after Bell hit 37 home runs in 143 games last year. He will be subject to the arbitration process again in 2021 and 2022 before he becomes a free agent. |
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| Dec 16 2019 | Bell (groin) is fully healthy and shouldn't have any restrictions in offseason training, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell had been putting together a career-best campaign in 2019 before a groin injury forced him to miss the second half of September. However, the team said Monday that he should be "full systems go" for his offseason training. The 27-year-old recorded a .936 OPS with 37 home runs and 116 RBI last season. |
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| Sep 25 2019 | Bell (groin) will not return this season, Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell was hoping to return before the end of the season, but the Pirates opted to play it safe and shut him down with just five games left and no chance at making the playoffs. The first baseman will be eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2020 after slashing .277/.367/.569 with career highs in doubles (37), home runs (37) and RBI (116). |
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| Sep 22 2019 | General manager Neil Huntington said during his Sunday radio show that there remains a chance that Bell (groin) returns before season's end, 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "He's making progress, it was going to be a multi-week injury anyway," Huntington said. "He's putting in the work. He wants to be healthy going into the offseason but ideally he'd like to finish the season healthy." Bell, who will be eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2020, has already set career highs in doubles (37), homers (37) and RBI (116). |
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| Sep 18 2019 | Bell (groin) will not be available for the rest of the Pirates' current series against the Mariners or their next series against the Brewers, but is still trying to make it back before the season ends, Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Pirates don't have any incentive to rush Bell back from his injury, but it appears he is still hoping to make it back in order to end the season on a healthy note add to his career-best total of 116 RBI. Assuming Bell does not play against the Brewers as expected, his next chance to play will come Sept. 24 against the Cubs. |
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| Sep 17 2019 | Bell (groin) isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Unsurprisingly, Bell will be held out again Tuesday after suffering a left groin injury Friday night. He's not expected to return to the starting lineup until Pittsburgh's series against Milwaukee at the earliest. Jose Osuna should see time at first base until Bell is cleared to return. |
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| Sep 15 2019 | General manager Neal Huntington said Sunday that it "wouldn't be surprising" to see Bell miss several days due his groin injury, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Speaking on his weekly radio show, Huntington said that Bell's injury was more than the day-to-day variety. Pittsburgh is off Monday before starting a three-game homestand against the Mariners, but Bell is probably trending toward a return no earlier than the team's weekend series in Milwaukee. The first baseman injured himself running from first base to second during Friday's loss to the Cubs. |
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| Sep 14 2019 | Bell (groin) is not in Saturday's lineup against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He exited Friday's game with left groin discomfort and the issue will keep him sidelined for at least one more game. Jose Osuna is starting at first base and hitting cleanup. |
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| Sep 13 2019 | Bell left Friday's game against the Cubs due to left groin discomfort, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Pirates will consider Bell day-to-day moving forward, though there'll be no need to push their star first baseman back into action at this point in the season, considering Pittsburgh is out of the playoff picture. |
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| Sep 11 2019 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Tuesday in the Pirates' 5-4 loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell's 37th long ball of the season cut the Pirates' deficit to one in the eighth inning before Giants reliever Shaun Anderson came on to record the final four outs of the night without much drama. Though Bell has seen his prolific power pace slow down in the last couple of months, he's maintained his typical strong plate discipline, reaching base at a .357 clip and striking out in only 17.8 percent of his plate appearances since the All-Star break. |
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| Sep 9 2019 | Bell will head to the bench for Monday's game against San Francisco. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell is in line for another day off after also taking a seat for Sunday's series finale. Jose Osuna will get the nod at first base and bat cleanup. |
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| Sep 8 2019 | Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bell started the last 11 games and has a .999 OPS with three homers in that stretch, but he'll take the day off Sunday. Jose Osuna will start at first base and bat fifth in his absence. |
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| Aug 29 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 12-3 loss to the Phillies. | |
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| Aug 26 2019 | Bell went 1-for-1 with a solo homer and two walks in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Phillies. | |
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| Aug 24 2019 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and two runs in a 14-0 victory against | the Reds on Saturday. |
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| Aug 20 2019 | Bell went 1-for-4 against Washington on Monday. | |
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| Aug 14 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and three RBI in a win against the Angels | on Tuesday. |
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| Aug 13 2019 | Bell went 2-for-5 with his 30th homer of the season in a 10-2 win over the Angels | on Monday. |
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| Aug 12 2019 | Bell went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in an 11-9 loss against the Cardinals | on Sunday. |
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| Aug 10 2019 | Bell went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two runs in Friday's 6-2 loss to | St. Louis. |
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| Aug 9 2019 | Bell will start at first base and bat fourth against the Cardinals on Friday. | |
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| Aug 7 2019 | Bell is not starting Wednesday against the Brewers. | |
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| Aug 6 2019 | Bell will head to the bench for the next two games in an effort to get him some | rest, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. |
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| Jul 29 2019 | Bell (hand) is starting at first base and hitting cleanup Monday against the Reds. | |
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| Jul 28 2019 | Bell's absence from Sunday's game was not related to the apparent left hand/wrist | injury he suffered Saturday, general manager Neal Huntington told 93.7 The Fan in |
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| Jul 28 2019 | Bell is out of the lineup<\/a> for Sunday's game against the Mets. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 17 2019 | Bell isn't in Wednesday's starting lineup<\/a> against the Cardinals. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 16 2019 | Bell went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in Monday's 7-0 loss to the Cardinals. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 6 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in a 7-6 loss to the Brewers on Friday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 3 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with two more extra-base hits, including another home run, in a 6-5 victory against the Cubs on Wednesday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 1 2019 | Bell went 4-for-6 with three homers, seven RBI and four runs scored in Monday's 18-5 blowout win over the Cubs. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 27 2019 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer against the Astros on Wednesday. He also scored three runs and drew a pair of walks. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 18 2019 | Bell went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a 5-4 loss against the Tigers on Tuesday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 15 2019 | Bell went 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBI against the Marlins on Friday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 13 2019 | Bell went 2-for-5 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 8-7 extra-innings loss to Atlanta. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 4 2019 | Bell sits for the first time this season<\/a> Tuesday against the Braves. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 3 2019 | Bell went 1-for-4 with an RBI double against the Brewers on Sunday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 1 2019 | Bell extended his hitting streak to 11 games Friday, going 2-for-5 with an RBI in a 9-4 win over Milwaukee. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 29 2019 | Bell went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and two runs in a 7-2 victory against the Reds on Wednesday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 27 2019 | Bell went 3-for-8 with a double and solo home run during both games of a doubleheader against the Reds on Monday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 23 2019 | Bell went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, walk, three runs and two RBI in Thursday's 14-6 win over the Rockies. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 19 2019 | Bell went 3-for-4 with a walk, two home runs and four RBI in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Padres. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 15 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a double in an 11-1 loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 15 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers, four RBI and a walk in a 6-2 victory against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 13 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a walk in Monday's 9-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 12 2019 | Bell went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, five RBI, a walk and three runs scored Sunday against the Cardinals. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 12 2019 | Bell went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, five RBI, a walk and three runs scored Sunday against the Cardinals. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 11 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 against St. Louis on Friday, lifting his season's batting average to .300. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 8 2019 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 9-6 loss to the Rangers on Wednesday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 25 2018 | Bell went 2-for-4 and delivered his first home run in 85 plate appearances against the Indians on Tuesday. | Power is the last missing piece of Bell's game, as the first baseman has hit .347/.435/.500 in 118 at-bats since June 10. The homer was just his second since May and sixth on the year. He hit 26 long balls in 2017, so it's reasonable to expect the 25-year-old to pick up the pace before season's end. |
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| Jul 21 2018 | Bell went 4-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Reds. | The first baseman has endured a rough sophomore campaign so far, slashing only .267/.350/.407 with five homers in 98 games, but he's at least started to string together some hits -- Bell's posted a .355 batting average (22-for-62) over his last 19 games. If he can also re-discover the power stroke that allowed him to slug 26 homers last year, the 25-year-old could put together a big stretch run for a Pirates squad still in the wild-card race. |
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| Jul 19 2018 | Bell went 7-for-15 and reached base 12 times in 20 at-bats in the five-game series against Milwaukee leading up to the All-Star break. | Although the first baseman hit 26 homers in 2017, that power has evaporated this year. He's belted only five home runs in 326 at-bats in 2018. Bell never hit more than 14 homers in parts of five minor-league seasons, but with a 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame, it was thought that the 25-year-old might produce numbers similar to 2017. He's slashed .317/.417/.455 in 120 plate appearances since moving out of the cleanup spot, giving hope he can continue raising a disappointing .738 OPS. |
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| Jul 13 2018 | Bell went 4-for-4 with a triple, a double, one run scored and two RBI in Friday's win over Milwaukee. | Bell struck in the first inning as he collected his 44th RBI of the season on a double to put the Pirates up 3-0. He's collected a hit in seven of his last 10 games, although he's logged no home runs and just two RBI over that span, so his power numbers have certainly been down of late. Bell is slugging a dismal .396 with five homers over 93 games this season, after launching 26 homers with a .466 slugging percentage in 2017. |
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| Jul 9 2018 | Bell is not starting Monday against the Nationals. | Bell was tried at leadoff for the Pirates' last three games but went just 2-for-13. He'll sit Monday with David Freese starting at first base. |
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| Jul 8 2018 | Bell has batted leadoff in the last two games, going a combined 1-for-9 with a double and run scored. | Pittsburgh is looking for ways to jumpstart the offense and nothing seems to be working. After falling to a season-low .233 batting average on June 9, Bell has slashed .301/.395/.425 in his last 86 plate appearances. He's hit only five home runs and holds an overall OPS of .709, however. Many envisioned Bell taking over as the face of the franchise following Andrew McCutchen's departure, but things haven't yet clicked for the 25-year-old. |
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| Jul 4 2018 | Bell is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers. | Bell will be stationed on the bench for the second time in the three-game series while the Dodgers bring a lefty (Rich Hill) for the third straight day. David Freese will once again cover first base in place of Bell, who is a career .250/.328/.417 hitter against southpaws. |
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| Jul 2 2018 | Bell is not in the lineup against the Dodgers on Monday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports. | Bell will receive a day off following four straight starts, during which he went 5-for-15 with two RBI and one extra-base hit. In his place, David Freese will pick up a start at first base. Look for Bell to rejoin the starting nine Tuesday. |
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| Jun 26 2018 | Bell is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Mets. | Bell, a switch-hitter, will sit against the left-handed Steven Matz. Bell has hit slightly better against righties (108 wRC+) than lefties (95 wRC+) thus far in his career, though the split isn't large enough that he absolutely must be platooned. Jose Osuna will start at first base Tuesday. |
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| Jun 26 2018 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer against the Mets on Monday. | The home run was his first in 77 plate appearances during the month of June. After going deep 26 times in 2017, the 25-year-old still only has five homers in 270 at-bats. He does have three career long balls in four games at Citi Field heading into Tuesday, however. Bell batted second in the lineup for the first time since May 19, 2017 as Pittsburgh looked to jumpstart its flagging offense. |
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| Jun 22 2018 | Bell is out of the lineup against Arizona on Friday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. | Bell will take a seat on the bench for the second time in the past three games with left-hander Patrick Corbin on the mound for the Diamondbacks. In his place, Jose Osuna will start at first base and bat sixth. |
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| Jun 20 2018 | Bell will take a seat Wednesday against the Brewers. | Bell sits after starting 10 straight games, hitting .300/.447/.433 over that stretch. Jose Osuna starts at first base Wednesday. |
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| Jun 13 2018 | Bell went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in Tuesday's 13-8 loss to the Diamondbacks. | There was plenty of offense to go around in this one, and Bell got in on the action with his third three-hit day of the season. The 25-year-old has been an on-base machine since sliding down to sixth in the order, reaching base safely in 11 of 16 plate appearances in that four game span. It's possible he'll move back up to cleanup at some point, but manager Clint Hurdle may be hesitant to tinker with Bell's new spot if it seems to be working. |
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| Jun 11 2018 | Bell went 1-for-1 with three walks and scored one run against the Cubs on Sunday. | He's reached base five times in seven plate appearances since moving from cleanup to the sixth spot in the batting order. Pittsburgh's options are limited and Bell will likely move back to hitting fourth, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him do well right now with less pressure on him. Manager Clint Hurdle said Sunday that it seemed like Bell was trying to hit a three-run homer in every plate appearance. The fact that he's walked four times in two games while batting sixth is a good sign. |
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| Jun 9 2018 | Bell will be moved from the cleanup spot "until further notice" according to manager Clint Hurdle, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. | During Saturday's game against the Cubs, Bell will be batting sixth and manning first base as he looks to break out of a little slump after starting the month 1-for-20. Hurdle added that this will not be a one day swap and that he wants to see Bell find success outside of his typical cleanup position. |
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| Jun 8 2018 | Bell is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. | Bell will take a seat on the bench after going 1-for-5 with a double and one RBI during Thursday's contest versus the Dodgers. In his place, David Freese will man first base. |
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| Jun 6 2018 | Bell went 0-for-4 against the Dodgers on Tuesday and is batting .160 in his last 50 at-bats since May 20. | The first baseman has totaled only four homers and 32 RBI in 214 at-bats despite batting fourth in the lineup for all of 2018. Surprisingly, the switch-hitter is struggling against right-handed pitching, slashing just .235/.310/.367 after compiling a line of .259/.342/.470 in 2017. Bell's OPS has dropped year-over year (.800 to .695) while his .133 ISO mirrors his 2016 mark -- well off last season's .211 ISO. Bell has played in 59 of Pittsburgh's first 60 games, and while he might be due for a day off, the team will likely continue to roll with the first baseman on an every-day basis. |
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| Jun 6 2018 | Bell is out of the lineup versus the Dodgers on Wednesday. | Bell will head to the bench after going 0-for-12 over the past three games. As he looks to clear his head, David Freese will get a start at first base while batting sixth in the order. |
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| May 24 2018 | Bell is out of the lineup Thursday against the Reds. | Bell played all 12 innings of Wednesday's 5-4 victory, so he'll get a well-deserved breather in the series finale. David Freese will handle first base with Bell on the bench and hit third Thursday. |
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| May 18 2018 | Bell went 2-for-4 with an RBI single against the Padres on Thursday. | The window to buy low on Bell may have closed. After hitting just .217 in April, the first baseman has lifted his season slash line to .269/.345/.410, courtesy of a .364 batting average (16-for-44) in May. The 25-year-old has hit exclusively from the cleanup spot, driving in 26 runs -- second on the team behind Corey Dickerson (28 RBI). |
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| May 16 2018 | Bell is out of the lineup Wednesday against the White Sox. | With a lefty (Hector Santiago) on the mound for Chicago and the Pirates playing a day game after a night game, Pittsburgh skipper Clint Hurdle decided it was a good time to give the lefty-hitting Bell a breather. Jose Osuna will take over at first base and hit cleanup Wednesday. |
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| May 15 2018 | Bell went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored Tuesday against the White Sox. | Bell got off to a slow start this season but seems to finally be heating up. He held a .232 average at the end up April but has worked that figure up to a more respectable .258 mark after Tuesday's two-hit performance. Through 12 games in May, the first baseman is hitting .333 (13-for-39) with four doubles, two homers and eight RBI. |
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| May 12 2018 | Bell hit his third homer of the season -- and second in four games -- Friday against the Giants. | After struggling for much of the time since the Pirates' opening series in Detroit, Bell has strung together a modest four-game hitting streak (5-for-15) with a triple, two homers and four RBI. His 432-foot home run Friday represented the second-longest homer by a Pirate in 2018. Considering Bell totaled just three extra-base hits in his previous 17 starts, the recent power uptick bodes well for fantasy owners. |
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| May 9 2018 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in Tuesday's win over the White Sox. | Playing in an American League park, Bell served as the DH on Tuesday and also reached via a walk and scored a pair of runs in the win. The 25-year-old has just two home runs on the year and his .366 slugging percentage is a full 100 points below last year's mark. Hitting in the heart of the order should provide Bell with his run-producing opportunities, but he'll also need to start leaving the yard more frequently to start paying more dividends for fantasy owners. |
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| May 6 2018 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, one RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Brewers. | Bell drove a relatively meaningless pitch from Jorge Lopez over the center field wall, with the Pirates already up 7-0 at the time. However, the shot was a needed one for Bell, as it was only his ninth extra-base hit of the season. The result has been just a .346 slugging percentage, and if he hopes to match his .466 slugging percentage from last season, he'll have to start lifting the ball in the air more. |
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| May 3 2018 | Bell is not in Thursday's lineup against the Nationals. | The first baseman is batting .169 in his last 59 at-bats and has just one homer in 2018. For the season, Bell is slashing .237/.305/.331. By comparison, he slashed .235/.340/.407 with four homers through the first 27 games in 2017. David Freese will start in Bell's place. |
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| May 3 2018 | Bell is out of the lineup Thursday against the Nationals, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. | Bell will be joined on the bench by fellow lineup regulars Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer as the Pirates wrap up their series in Washington with a matinee. With just one home run and a .237 average across 131 plate appearances this season, Bell has been a disappointment thus far for the Pirates and fantasy owners, but there's no indication that he's in any real danger of consistently losing at-bats to David Freese, who will start at first base in Bell's stead Thursday. |
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| May 1 2018 | Bell went 0-for-4 against Washington on Monday, dropping his batting average to a season-low .232 in 112 at-bats. | Since starting 2018 with a six-game hitting streak, the first baseman has slashed .193/.260/.261 in his last 96 plate appearances. He's collected just seven extra-base hits, including one homer, with an .089 ISO -- well below his career mark (.181 ISO). In three seasons, Bell has hit .232 through June and .270 thereafter. The sample is small but it's possible the 25-year-old native Texan simply hits better in warm weather. He continues to bat exclusively from the cleanup spot as Pittsburgh has shown no signs of wavering with the switch hitter. |
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| Apr 23 2018 | Bell collected a pinch-hit triple Sunday against the Phillies. | The triple, his first of the season, gives him three hits in his last 24 at-bats. Pittsburgh starts a six-game homestand Tuesday and Bell will face at least four right-handed starters, against whom the switch hitter holds a career slash line of .270/.346/.461. |
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| Apr 22 2018 | General manager Neal Huntington said Bell is available to pinch-hit Sunday against the Phillies. | Speaking on his weekly radio show Sunday, Huntington said that the team is looking to give the first baseman a rest, pairing Sunday with Monday's off-day. Bell had played in every inning of Pittsburgh's first 21 games before coming out of the sixth inning of Saturday's game as part of a double-switch. |
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| Apr 22 2018 | Bell is not in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies. | Bell got off to a strong start this season but has now collected just two hits in his last 23 at-bats, bringing his season average down to a .244 mark. He'll get the day off to hopefully reset, with David Freese manning first base in his stead. |
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| Apr 19 2018 | Bell is batting .500 with two homers and two doubles in 14 at-bats against Thursday starter Jake Arrieta. | The first baseman snapped out of a 5-for-28 (with eight strikeouts) slide Wednesday, collecting two hits and three RBI. Although the sample size against Arrieta is minute, he's seeing the ball well once again and makes for an interesting play Thursday. |
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| Apr 18 2018 | Bell went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 10-2 win over the Rockies. | The young switch hitter continues to produce from the heart of the Pirates' order despite not yet finding his power stroke, and Bell now sports a .278/.338/.389 slash line with only one homer but 11 runs and 13 RBI in 18 games. Expect him to start putting more balls over the fence as the weather warms up. |
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| Apr 15 2018 | Bell went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 7-3 victory over the Marlins. | In addition to driving in three runs Sunday, Bell hit his fourth double of the year. While it remains to be seen if his .305 batting average will move back towards last season's mark of .255, Bell has started the season in stride and has posted a .797 OPS over 15 games. |
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| Apr 10 2018 | Bell went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI in Tuesday's 8-5 win against the Cubs. | Bell's terrific start to the season continued Tuesday, as his multi-hit effort brought his batting average up to .333 through 10 games. With eight runs scored and seven RBI in that time, Bell has been a solid source of run production as well. Going forward, Bell is in line to serve as the Pirates' everyday first baseman and should see plenty of opportunities to continue elevating the .258 career batting average he entered the season with. |
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| Apr 5 2018 | Bell went 1-for-4 with his first homer of the season Wednesday against the Twins. | The first baseman is batting .400 in 20 at-bats and has at least one hit in each of Pittsburgh's first five games. Bell has also shown a willingness to run on the base paths, though he's been thrown on both of his stolen base attempts. As a rookie last year, he hit only .255 in 159 games. Bell batted .303 in five minor league campaigns, however, and could provide fantasy owners with a healthy boost in batting average in 2018. |
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| Mar 30 2018 | Bell went 3-for-6 with three RBI against the Tigers on Friday. | His situational hitting skills were on full display against Detroit. He reached out across the plate to drive the ball to right-center for a sacrifice fly and also collected an opposite-field RBI single. Bell did make an fielding error on a grounder at first base, but the team is willing to look past his defensive shortcomings. He's slated to hit cleanup exclusively and looks to build upon a rookie season that included 26 homers and 90 RBI. |
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| Mar 28 2018 | Bell went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and one run scored Tuesday against the Phillies. | Bell's home run was his fourth of spring training and came against Jake Arrieta. His ability to hit for power in 2017, his first full season in the major leagues, was a nice surprise as his .211 ISO was his highest mark at any professional level. He did sacrifice plate discipline as a result, but he has struck out just six times in 51 at-bats this spring while still producing eight extra-base hits. That development is an encouraging sign that he can build off his 2017 season by maintaining his home run production while also improving his batting average and run-scoring upside. |
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| Mar 12 2018 | Bell is hitting .192/.241/.385 with one home run, two strikeouts and two walks in 26 spring at-bats. | There's no reason to be alarmed by the slow start for the Pirates' everyday first baseman, given how small the sample size is. Bell could hit cleanup for Pittsburgh all year long, likely sandwiched in between Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco. Since Feb. 1, he is being drafted as the 23rd first baseman off the board in NFBC leagues (188.2 overall), which is a fair representation of his fantasy value for 2018. |
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| Oct 1 2017 | Bell will start Sunday against Washington, even though the Nationals are starting southpaw Gio Gonzalez. | The Pirates have held Bell back against some left-handed pitching -- he's slashing .232/.292/.448 in 137 plate appearances against lefties -- but he needs just one homer to break the franchise rookie record of 26. After a September slump, Bell has six hits (including two home runs) in his last 18 at-bats. |
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| Sep 29 2017 | Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to Washington. | Bell's second homer in as many outings tied the game in the top of the ninth inning and improved him to 26 for the season. Thursday's blast ties Bell with Jason Bay for the organization's rookie home-run record. The 25-year-old first baseman has posted a respectable .256/.333/.471 slash line with 89 RBI and 73 runs to go along with the round trippers, and he projects to be a key cog in the Pittsburgh lineup for years to come. |
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| Sep 27 2017 | Bell went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Orioles. | He now has 25 homers on the year, leaving Bell one shy of Jason Bay's franchise rookie record. The young switch hitter has faded a bit down the stretch in his first full big-league campaign, but he'll still head into 2018 as a key piece of the Pirates' offense. |
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| Sep 25 2017 | Bell, who went hitless in three at-bats Sunday, is slashing .138/.219/.155 in his last 64 plate appearances. | He's driven in just one run despite batting fourth or fifth in all 17 games. The entire Pittsburgh squad has struggled to produce offense in September and Bell may simply be running out of steam in his first full MLB season. Despite the slump, the 25-year-old ranks second on the team with 595 plate appearances and .787 OPS. He's also become more adept playing a new position (first base), ranking sixth among NL first basemen with a -2.1 UZR rating. |
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| Sep 24 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. | Bell is hitting just .178 this month and hasn't collected a multi-hit game since Sept. 8. Manager Clint Hurdle will give the struggling 25-year-old the day off, with Jose Osuna taking over at first base and batting cleanup in his stead. |
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| Sep 19 2017 | Bell went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts against Milwaukee on Monday. | He entered the game as a right-handed pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, whiffing against southpaw Josh Hader. Bell has four hits in his last 30 at-bats and two extra-base hits in 64 September plate appearances. He's totaled one RBI over the last 13 games despite batting fourth or fifth in the order. |
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| Sep 18 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup Monday against the Brewers. | Bell will head to the bench for a breather after starting nine of the past 10 games at first base, going just 7-for-37 (.189) over that span. Jose Osuna will start in place of him, batting fifth. |
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| Sep 13 2017 | Bell entered Tuesday's game as a pinch-hitter and went 0-for-2 against Milwaukee. | Pittsburgh continues to limit the switch-hitter's time against left-handed pitching -- he didn't start against Tuesday southpaw Brent Suter. After a strong summer, Bell has slumped in September, slashing .214/.283/.310 with one homer and six RBI in 42 at-bats. Look for the first baseman to return to the starting lineup Wednesday against righty Chase Anderson, against whom Bell has one hit in four at-bats. |
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| Sep 12 2017 | Bell is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Brewers. | He has started 26 of the last 27 games, hitting .268/.355/.454 with four home runs in 97 at-bats over that span. Jose Osuna will start at first base and hit fifth. |
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| Sep 9 2017 | Bell went 3-for-4 in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Cardinals. | No other Pirate had more than one hit on the night, as Bell got little help from his teammates. The first baseman leads all NL rookies with 127 hits, and his .304/.374/.514 slash line in the second half is cementing his spot as a big part of Pittsburgh's future. |
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| Sep 6 2017 | Bell is out of the lineup against the Cubs on Wednesday. | Bell heads to the bench following 14 straight starts, hitting .269/.345/.481 with three home runs and nine RBI during that span. In his place, Jose Osuna takes over at first base, while batting fifth in the order. |
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| Sep 4 2017 | Bell went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and four RBI during Monday's win over the Cubs. | Bell is turning in a solid fantasy campaign with 24 homers, 82 RBI, 69 runs and a .264/.343/.495 slash line. The 25-year-old first baseman projects to remain a solid asset down the stretch, and his numbers stand to improve in 2018. Bell is probably undervalued in some keeper/dynasty settings, so this could be an opportune time to table a buy-low offer. |
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| Aug 31 2017 | Bell went 1-for-4 with his 23rd homer of the season Wednesday. | The switch-hitter is batting better from the left side (.276 batting average, .306 BABIP) than the right (.218, .198), but from a power standpoint there's not much difference. Bell has hit 16 homers in 344 at-bats as a lefty and seven homers in 110 at-bats right-handed. His lefty/righty ISO splits (.235/.218) illustrate that with more experience, the rookie figures to improve his overall approach (and numbers) as a right-handed hitter. The Pirates have pinch-hit for Bell against southpaws on numerous occasions, but that figures to change in 2018. |
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| Aug 26 2017 | Bell went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Reds. | His production has been overshadowed by the long ball exploits of Cody Bellinger and now Rhys Hoskins this season, but Bell has quietly put together a strong rookie campaign of his own, slashing .267/.345/.497 with 22 homers and 76 RBI. The switch hitter has been even better in August, posting a .365/.444/.581 line, and he looks set for a long stint in the heart of the Pittsburgh lineup. |
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| Aug 21 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Dodgers. | Bell owns an middling .230/.310/.416 line against southpaws this season, so he'll get the day off against lefty-throwing Alex Wood despite going 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. Jose Osuna will take over for him at first base, batting fifth. |
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| Aug 20 2017 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI on Sunday in a 6-3 win over St. Louis at the Little League Classic. | Bell played the hero in front of a few thousand lucky fans in Williamsport, smacking a two-run bomb in the first inning off Cardinals starter Mike Leake before singling in a couple more runs in the third. He's been productive of late with 13 RBI over his last nine contests, giving the first baseman an impressive 72 in his sophomore season. |
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| Aug 13 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays. | Bell has put together multi-hit performances in three of his previous four starts, raising his season average from .249 to .257 in the process. Despite his recent production, he'll get the day off with Jose Osuna filling it at first base and batting fifth. Of course, Bell will be available to pinch hit Sunday afternoon. |
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| Aug 10 2017 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Thursday's win over the Tigers. | It was his first home run of August and 20th of the year. The pop has been surprising for a player who was better known for his hit tool as a prospect and managed only three homers in 45 games last season. This level of power may not be sustainable, but there is room for growth with the batting average, and improvement there would help offset any power decline. |
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| Aug 10 2017 | Bell will start at first base and bat cleanup in Thursday's matinee against the Tigers. | He had two of Pittsburgh's three hits Wednesday and also reached base with a walk. Bell hasn't started two of the last four games with opponents starting southpaws, as he's slashing .228/.301/.457 in 92 at-bats against right-handed pitching. Overall, he carries an .803 OPS through 113 games and has seen nearly the same number of pitches (4.05 per plate appearance) as he did last season (4.06) -- both impressive numbers. Bell has never faced Thursday's righty starter Drew VerHagen, who's allowed a career slash line of .306/.410/.459 to left-handed hitters. |
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| Aug 8 2017 | Bell is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Tigers. | Bell will take a seat with left-hander Matthew Boyd on the mound for the Tigers, opening up a starting role for Jose Osuna. It's the second time in three games that Bell will hit the bench against a lefty starter, which could become a regular occurrence the rest of the way with the 24-year-old slashing an unremarkable .228/.301/.457 versus southpaws this season. |
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| Aug 6 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup Sunday against the Padres. | Jose Osuna will replace the 24-year-old at first base for the series finale. Since the All-Star break, Bell has settled in at the plate, slashing .308/.353/.487 with three home runs and 15 runs batted in. |
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| Jul 30 2017 | Bell launched a pinch-hit solo homer in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Padres. | Bell was scratched in favor of Jose Osuna at first base with a southpaw on the mound for San Diego, but rewarded those who had the faith or forgetfulness to leave him in their lineups by slugging a ninth-inning long ball against left-handed reliever Jose Torres in his only at-bat of the game. That was the switch-hitter's sixth homer against lefties compared to 13 when facing right-handers. |
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| Jul 30 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres. | Bell has gone hitless and tallied six strikeouts at the plate over his past three games. In addition, the switch-hitter is batting just .218/.299/.425 in 97 plate appearances against southpaws (San Diego will start lefty Clayton Richard). Jose Osuna will draw the start at first base in his stead. |
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| Jul 25 2017 | Bell went 3-for-5 with an RBI double Monday against the Giants. | He's slashing .364/.400/.652 with three homers and 17 RBI in his last 70 plate appearances, lifting his batting average to its highest mark (.253) since May 24. Bell's recent hot streak started after his only off-day of the season July 4. With 18 homers and an .818 OPS, the first baseman might be better positioned for NL Rookie of the Year honors if not for the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger. |
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| Jul 22 2017 | Bell went 4-for-6 with a double, a triple, a run scored and four RBI in Friday's 13-5 win over the Rockies. | The 24-year-old greatly enjoyed his first game in Coors Field, as so many have before him. He now has a .333/.375/.567 slash line in eight games since the All-Star break with a homer and eight RBI, and with the Pirates' offense back at full strength following the return of Starling Marte, Bell should see plenty of run-producing opportunities down the stretch. |
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| Jul 19 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Brewers. | Bell is beginning to find his stroke at the plate in July, as he holds a .288/.362/.519 in the month. Nonetheless, he'll head the bench for his first night off since July 4. Jose Osuna will man first base in his place. |
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| Jul 14 2017 | Bell went 2-for-3 with a homer, two walks and four RBI Friday against the Cardinals. | Bell's 17th of blast of the year was of the walk-off variety, lifting the Pirates to a dramatic 5-2 victory. Despite having a weak batting average, he's provided fantasy managers with a solid .484 slugging percentage, making him a good option as a corner infielder. |
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| Jul 6 2017 | Bell went 2-for-5 with a double, a homer, two runs and three RBI Thursday in Philadelphia. | Bell's error on a third-inning pickoff attempt allowed a runner to score all the way from first, but he atoned for that mistake with a two-run homer in the very next frame. The first baseman struck again in the decisive three-run eighth, driving in the go-ahead run with a double before coming around to score himself. Bell's now slashing .229/.314/.465 with 42 runs scored and 42 RBI in 85 games. |
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| Jul 4 2017 | Bell is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Phillies. | Bell hasn't had a day off since June 20, so was likely overdue for a maintenance day. He's also hitless in his last two games, so the day of rest will give him an opportunity to hit the reset button. John Jaso will man first base in his stead, giving the Pirates an extra lefty bat in the lineup. |
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| Jun 24 2017 | Bell went 1-for-4 with his 14th homer -- and second in three games -- Friday against St. Louis. | The switch-hitter continues to show defining splits which could help decide whether to start him or sit him. Against right-handed pitching, Bell is slashing .257/.340/.497 with 10 homers and 25 RBI in 187 at-bats. Southpaws are limiting the rookie to .169/.246/.390 with four homers and eight RBI in 59 at-bats. |
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| Jun 22 2017 | Bell went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Brewers. | The 24-year-old is now chasing history, as his 13 homers leave him just two shy of Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner's franchise rookie record for home runs in the first half. Bell's .235 batting average is a disappointment considering he routinely challenged or broke the .300 mark in the minors. but as his game continues to develop the switch hitter could emerge as a legitimate four-category fantasy producer. |
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| Jun 20 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Brewers. | Bell is hitless over his last two contests (0-for-8), so he'll head to the bench for a breather after starting six straight games. Jose Osuna will start at first base in his place. |
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| Jun 16 2017 | Bell went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, three RBI and two runs during Friday's loss to the Cubs. | It's been an up-and-down sophomore campaign for Bell. He's made the most of his .238 batting average and .319 on-base percentage with a serviceable 12 homers, 30 RBI and 33 runs. Bell has also carved out a role in the heart of the Pittsburgh lineup, so that will help buoy his fantasy value going forward. |
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| Jun 15 2017 | Bell went 0-for-3 with a walk Wednesday against the Rockies. | He's hit 11 homers with 27 RBI but has struggled in recent weeks. Since May 20, Bell is batting .200/.277/.322 with two home runs and eight RBI in 101 plate appearances. His error at first base Wednesday led to a run, but the Pirates seem committed to keeping there -- he's made some improvements despite his overall poor defense. In fact, Bell has been lifted for a defensive replacement in only one of his last 10 starts. |
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| Jun 12 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup Monday against the Rockies. | Despite riding a four-game hitting streak, Bell will take a seat as the Rockies send southpaw Kyle Freeland to the mound. Jose Osuna will draw the start at first base in his stead. |
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| Jun 8 2017 | Bell is not in the lineup Thursday against the Marlins. | Bell has more strikeouts (eight) than hits (four) in the month of June, so he'll head to the bench for a night off. John Jaso will take over to replace him at first base. |
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| Jun 3 2017 | Bell went 2-for-4 with his 10th homer of the season Friday in New York. | Prior to Friday, Bell was batting .128 in his last 47 at-bats. The switch-hitter, who has struggled hitting third in the order over the last week, was moved down to fifth (following the return of Gregory Polanco). Opponents have had recent success throwing inside on Bell, forcing the 24-year-old to make the necessary adjustments. |
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| Jun 3 2017 | Bell went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Mets. | Bell got the Bucs on the board with a 406-foot bomb off Robert Gsellman in the second inning. After snapping a 13-game stretch without a home run, Bell now has one in consecutive games. While the 24-year-old will likely continue to struggle with his batting average, Bell remains a good source of power. He ranks 22nd in the National League in AB/HR (16.8). |
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| May 31 2017 | Bell is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. | With two teams playing a day game after a night game, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle will give Bell a breather in the series finale, marking his first day off since May 11. The move to the bench could do some good for Bell, who had gone on a home-run binge in mid-May before closing out the month with a whimper. Over his last 11 games, Bell has gone 6-for-43 (.140 average) with no home runs and two RBI. Jose Osuna takes Bell's spot at first base. |
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| May 26 2017 | Bell went 1-for-5 with a double and a run scored Thursday against the Braves. | He's batted third the last couple days with Andrew McCutchen getting a break. In his last 13 games, Bell has hit five doubles and four homers, giving him a .989 OPS. His overall line of .242/.329/.484 has been hampered a bit by a .250 BABIP, but he's still seeing plenty of pitches (4.08 per at-bat). Bell has been charged with only one error at first base and seems set at that position for the foreseeable future. With nine homers and a .242 ISO, the 25-year-old has become a leading contender for rookie of the year honors. |
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| May 18 2017 | Bell is slated to bat cleanup for the Pirates on Thursday for the first time this season. | Bell has batted second in the order on 10 occasions this year, and even saw the three-spot once, but the majority of his overall starts have featured the 24-year-old hitting somewhere in the 5-8 range. A recent surge of power has likely led to this decision, as Bell owns three home runs and a 1.511 OPS over his last five games. |
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| May 18 2017 | Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run during Thursday's win over Washington. | The 24-year-old slugger is up to nine home runs, 18 RBI, 18 runs and a .248/.338/.520 slash line for the season, and he's now launched four home runs during an active six-game hitting streak. The hot stretch should keep him in the heart of the lineup for the immediate future, and Bell's current .858 OPS is an impressive mark for a player with just 254 career plate appearances at the highest level. |
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| May 13 2017 | Bell went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's 11-4 loss to the Diamondbacks. | The homer was his sixth of the season and snapped an 0-for-14 skid for the young first baseman. Bell's .236/.323/.445 slash line isn't terribly impressive, but he's supplying more power than expected and his .256 BABIP should rise as the weather warms up. |
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| May 11 2017 | Bell is out of the lineup Thursday night against the Diamondbacks. | Bell has gone four consecutive games without collecting a hit. His recent troubles at the plate have dropped his batting average from .258 to .236 over that brief span. He'll get the night off while John Jaso fills in at first base. |
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