Bell MRI "pretty clean," Rogers shifting to bullpen for now

Josh Bell isn’t in the Nationals’ lineup for today’s series finale against the Giants, but the slugger’s right hamstring injury doesn’t appear to be serious enough to keep him out for long.

Manager Davey Martinez said the MRI taken of Bell’s hamstring after he departed Saturday’s game was “pretty clean.” The club decided not to start him today – giving him two full days off because the Nats don’t play Monday – but he was planning to attempt to run pregame to test his leg and could therefore be available off the bench to pinch-hit if needed.

Even if Bell is available, the Nationals bench is woefully thin at the moment. He joins backup catcher Riley Adams and outfielder Victor Robles as the only non-starting position players on the roster this afternoon, with the team preferring to stick with a 16-man pitching staff for now.

There was some thought to calling up another position player from Triple-A Rochester before today’s game, but the team opted not to do that yet, based on Bell’s encouraging prognosis.

“We did think about bringing up somebody else,” Martinez said. “But after talking to Bell yesterday, we feel like if he’s even eligible to pinch-hit – which I think he will be – we could use him to pinch-hit later in the game. Right now, we’re just going to hold off and see how he feels.”

Maikel Franco, who replaced Bell at first base during Saturday’s game, makes his first start of the season there today. Lucius Fox, who replaced Franco at third base mid-game, will start at the hot corner.

There may come a point in the near future when the Nationals are comfortable playing Adams at first base, but that time hasn’t come yet. The 25-year-old catcher has been working with infield coaches Gary DiSarcina and Tim Bogar since spring training and has made progress, though he’s not quite game-ready yet.

“We just want to get him comfortable around the base,” Martinez said. “He fields ground balls good. There’s a lot of footwork involved around the base. I know they’re going to work on that.”

The Nationals’ bench may be thin, but their rotation is suddenly overstuffed with Saturday’s call-up of Aaron Sanchez, who will make another start next week. With an off-day Monday, Martinez said Josh Rogers is going to be available out of the bullpen this afternoon.

The manager didn’t go so far as to say Rogers has lost his spot in the rotation, but the signs are pointing in that direction. Rogers, who was supposed to open the season at Rochester but was quickly summoned back to the big leagues after Aníbal Sánchez landed on the injured list with a nerve impingement in his neck, has struggled in his last two starts after a strong debut performance in Atlanta.

Martinez said Josiah Gray will start Tuesday’s series opener against the Marlins, with Erick Fedde taking the mound Wednesday. Thursday’s starter has yet to be determined, but that would be Patrick Corbin’s spot, with Aaron Sanchez then in line to face the Giants a second time Friday night in San Francisco.