Bell is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rockies.
Though the switch-hitting Bell started in two of the Nationals' previous three matchups with left-handed hurlers, he'll hit the bench Monday as the Rockies send southpaw Carson Palmquist to the hill. James Wood will get a day off from playing the outfield and will assume Bell's usual duties as Washington's designated hitter.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Not in Wednesday's lineup
Rotowire
Bell is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Andres Chaparro is in the designated hitter spot versus lefty David Peterson and could cut into Bell's playing time against southpaws moving forward. The switch-hitting Bell is just 2-for-39 at the dish versus left-handed pitching this season.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Getting night off
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Rangers.
Bell will get a breather Friday after making nine consecutive starts, as he cedes DH duties to Alex Call while Nathaniel Lowe starts at first base. During his nine-game starting streak, Bell went 11-for-33 (.333) with three homers and a 4:2 BB:K.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Homers again Friday
Rotowire
Bell went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Friday's 9-7 win over the Diamondbacks.
After failing to record a multi-hit effort in any of his first 45 games this season, Bell has gone 7-for-14 with three homers and seven RBI over the last three contests. The 32-year-old put the Nationals ahead briefly in the third inning with his blast Friday. He's up to nine homers, 22 RBI, 18 runs scored and a .181/.277/.361 slash line. He's added just one double and one triple this season after recording at least 20 doubles in each of the previous seven full-length campaigns, so he still has work to do in the power department, though that should come naturally if he can continue hitting at a higher level.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Belts extra-inning homer
Rotowire
Bell went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Mariners.
The long ball wasn't exactly clutch, as it closed the books on a seven-run 10th inning for the Nationals that blew open a 2-2 tie, but it's another encouraging sign that Bell is coming out of his early season swoon. The 32-year-old has gone yard in back-to-back games, racking up five hits over those contests, and over his last 14 games he sports a .277/.370/.489 slash line with three of his eight homers on the year.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Finally notches multi-hit game
Rotowire
Bell went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a 9-0 win over Seattle.
Bell slugged a solo homer to left field in the second inning and added two singles for his first multi-hit effort of the season. Incredibly, it took him 46 contests to achieve that feat, which explains why his season slash line still stands at a paltry .166/.264/.318. Bell has supplied a bit of pop with seven homers and has recorded a solid 10.7 percent walk rate, which have helped him remain the Nationals' primary DH despite his slow start to the campaign.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Sitting amid struggles
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
The switch-hitting Bell has produced an abysmal .065/.216/.129 slash line over 37 plate appearances against lefties this season, and the Nationals seem content to treat him as a platoon player for the time being. He'll remain on the bench for the second day in a row as the Nationals face off against another Giants lefty in Robbie Ray.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Idle Saturday
Rotowire
Bell isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Bell will take a seat on the bench Saturday after going 3-for-16 with a homer and two runs scored across his last five games. James Wood will act as Washington's designated hitter instead while Alex Call, Robert Hassell and Daylen Lile start across the outfield.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Goes yard in Sunday's win
Rotowire
Bell went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Orioles.
The veteran slugger took Bryan Baker deep in the eighth inning, the last of five Nats long balls in a 10-4 rout. Bell has six homers and 15 RBI in 40 contests, but he's mostly had a miserable start to the season in his return to Washington -- incredibly, he has yet to collect multiple hits in the same game, leading to a .156/.242/.305 slash line.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Bell isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Bell's early-season struggles continued with an 0-for-3 performance in Friday's series opener, and he'll now take a seat to begin Saturday's game. James Wood will serve as the Nationals' DH with Alex Call filling the void in left field.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Exiting starting nine
Rotowire
Bell is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Guardians.
Bell returned to action in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader after missing the previous four contests with a groin issue. While Bell seems to be healthy now, the Nationals are going with James Wood at designated hitter and Alex Call in left field for Wednesday's series finale.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Starting in Game 2
Rotowire
Bell (groin) will serve as Washington's designated hitter and bat fourth in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Guardians.
Bell has been out since Saturday due to a groin injury and sat out the first game of Tuesday's twin bill, but he'll return to the starting nine for the nightcap. The 32-year-old has struggled to break out of his slump to start the season, going just 3-for-19 with a homer over his last five games.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: On bench for matinee
Rotowire
Bell (groin) is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Guardians, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Bell hasn't seen the field since Friday due to the groin issue, and his absence will extend into Game 1 of Tuesday's twin bill. It's unclear if the veteran slugger will be available for the nightcap. James Wood is receiving another look at designated hitter while Alex Call starts in left field with Bell out.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Remains out Monday
Rotowire
Bell (groin) remains out of the lineup for Monday's contest against the Guardians.
Bell will miss out on a third straight start due to a groin injury. The Nationals haven't provided any indication that Bell could need a stint on the injured list, but he'll need to show improvement in a hurry. For the third straight game, the Nationals will use James Wood at designated hitter and Alex Call in left field.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Out of lineup again Sunday
Rotowire
Bell (groin) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Bell will sit for a second straight game due to a groin issue. The veteran slugger didn't see any action Saturday but was reportedly available to pinch hit, so he'll presumably be available in that capacity Sunday.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Dealing with groin issue
Rotowire
Bell isn't starting Saturday against the Reds due to a groin issue, but he could be available to pinch hit, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
It doesn't sound like the Nationals are very concerned about Bell's injury, as Nusbaum notes that the team is "being careful" due to wet weather conditions. The veteran slugger's potential availability to pinch hit also suggests he isn't dealing with a serious issue. With Bell out of his customary DH role Saturday, James Wood is getting a day out of the field as the designated hitter while Alex Call is getting a start in left field.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Getting rest Monday
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.
Bell will exit the starting nine for just the third time in 29 games on the season after a rough showing in the Nationals' three-game series with the Mets over the weekend, when he went 1-for-12 with five strikeouts. With Bell on the bench, James Wood will get a day out of the outfield and will serve as Washington's designated hitter.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Mashes fourth homer
Rotowire
Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Orioles.
After James Wood led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot, Bell also took Tomoyuki Sugano deep in the same frame for his fourth homer of the year. Bell does have 10 runs and 11 RBI in 22 games, but he's otherwise had a rough start to 2025 -- he hasn't produced a single multi-hit performance, leaving him with a feeble .141/.256/.321 slash line.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Resting Thursday
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates.
With Thursday's game beginning at 12:35 p.m. ET, Bell will get some rest after he had started at designated hitter or at first base in each of Washington's last seven contests while going 3-for-27 with a home run and three walks over that stretch. Bell's absence from the lineup will allow the Nationals to give James Wood a day out of the outfield and deploy him as their DH.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Drives in two runs Saturday
Rotowire
Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in Saturday's 7-6 loss to Miami.
Bell tied things up in the third inning, when his single to left field brought Keibert Ruiz and James Wood across home plate. Bell has gone 3-for-11 with three walks, three runs scored, one home run and five RBI across his last three starts.
