Bell recalls struggles in minors to help battle current slump

It's no secret that the Nationals need Josh Bell to have a good year in order to reach the levels of success they aspire for this season. That's what general manager Mike Rizzo was banking on when he acquired the slugging first baseman from the Pirates for two pitching prospects on Christmas Eve, the first big move of the offseason.

And after he tore through Grapefruit League action by hitting .383 with a 1.328 OPS, six home runs and 15 RBIs, that's what the Nationals thought they were going to get from their new starting first baseman over the course of a 162-game season.

Then a COVID-19 outbreak sidelined Bell for two weeks, leaving him without the ability to see live major league pitching and out of the lineup for the Nationals' first six games. So there was some leeway as he finally made his debut on April 12.

And then he was given some more through the first couple of games.

And then some more after the first week.

And now that we're nearing the end of April, Bell finds himself in an 0-for-17 slump while batting .109 with two doubles, one home run, three RBIs, a .410 OPS and 14 strikeouts to just four walks.

In a lineup that is missing Juan Soto for the time being and that ranks 29th out of 30 teams in runs scored, the Nationals really can't afford to have Bell contribute this little a month into the season. Even with backup first baseman Ryan Zimmerman tearing the cover off the ball to a tune of a .297 average with a double, three homers (including a two-run shot Tuesday night), five RBIs and a .901 OPS.

"We gotta get Josh going," manager Davey Martinez said via Zoom after Tuesday's 9-5 loss to the Blue Jays. "I mean he's a big, big part of the middle of our lineup. And he's gonna get going, I know that. So hopefully we'll get him going. He took some good swings today. Like I said, he's just fouling balls off that I saw him hit in spring training. So we just gotta get him going."

Easier said than done? Perhaps not. In Bell's mind, all it's going to take is one hit in one good at-bat and he'll be right back in the swing of things.

"I feel like the workdays have gone well," Bell said after his third straight 0-for-4 outing Tuesday night. "At times, I'm kinda ticked off at my pitch selection, maybe trying to do just a little bit too much in certain scenarios. But I feel like in regards to my move and my workday, things are really close, so all it takes is one hit and then the flood gates can open up and I can start having more and more consistently good at-bats."

If that seems too simple, maybe it is. But maybe simple is what Bell needs right now as he tries to get his timing back after being quarantined for two weeks just two weeks ago.

"Yeah, I mean, I feel like when I look at my at-bats, I'm like, 'OK, this is the pitch where the at-bat should have been over and I should have driven that ball,' " said Bell. "Instead, it's a foul ball and I'm still up there trying to grind, trying to figure things out. But when things are going right, it's like, 'OK, mistake pitch or ball in my zone, at-bat's over.' "

Bell says this isn't the first time this has happened to him. How could it? Every ballplayer goes through slumps and he is no different.

But Bell says it's when he made the jump from Double-A to Triple-A in the Pirates organization that really sticks out in his mind when he thinks about his current slump.

"Yeah, I can look back a few times in my career," Bell said. "I specifically remember going to Triple-A for the first time. I felt really good, I was tearing it up in Double-A and I forget what it was but I might've been like 2-for-37 or something like that, something ridiculous. And I worked with my hitting coach there and it was almost more like a pressing thing. Like slow things down, get good pitches to hit and try to drive the baseball because when I'm right, that's what I can do, that's what I will do. So it's just getting back there."

Now the six-year veteran knows his approach at the plate perfectly and can identify what exactly is going wrong when he's slumping and how to fix it.

"I think it's just trying to be more handsy instead of using my entire body to stay on plane," said Bell. "Trying to start my hands as opposed to starting my back foot, back hip, and then it torques into my hands and then I'm on plane going through the ball. So I think it's just slowing the game down, seeing good pitches to hit and then trusting my swing."

As for other strategies, Bell's not one to pore over game film, but rather putting in the work every day on the field.

"I feel like I just focus on the work day more and more," he said. "I think that during the game, I can look at certain pitches and be like, 'Dang, that was the one that I should have hit.' But it all boils down to, 'OK, pregame I'm working on this. First at-bat, this is what I want to feel.' And if I can feel that, that's when at-bats build, quality at-bats go up and that's when I start to do damage."

Hopefully, all of this leads to a quick turnaround for Bell, and sooner rather than later. Even with Soto possibly returning the lineup soon, Martinez needs Bell to be an everyday contributor so he doesn't have to double back on his plan at first base and give Zimmerman more reps than originally scheduled.

"Hey, look, I got all the confidence in the world in Josh Bell," Martinez said. "It's just early, he's only got 40 at-bats or so. Once it clicks, we'll get him going, he gets on a roll, I've seen this guy carry his team for a month or two. So he'll get on that roll and start helping us win ballgames."

* A few injury updates from Martinez's pregame presser on Tuesday that didn't make it on the blog last night (spoiler alert: It's a lot of building up strength) ...

Jon Lester (COVID protocols) threw six innings and 90 pitches Sunday and a light bullpen Tuesday. Martinez wants to chat with the left-hander, pitching coach Jim Hickey and Rizzo to see what they want to do with his next outing, which could come with the Nationals or again at Fredericksburg.

Will Harris (right hand inflammation) threw in a game the other day and felt fine. Martinez said the Nats have to keep building him up.

Stephen Strasburg (right shoulder inflammation) threw at 150 feet and everything went well. He has to continue to build strength and hopefully get on a mound soon, which will be the next step.

Soto (left shoulder strain) took batting practice at the alternate training site in Fredericksburg. The good news is that Soto doesn't feel any pain while swinging. It's throwing that is the issue, something he still hasn't been able to do yet. Martinez wants him to play a game or two before rejoining the big league club.

And last but not least, Wander Suero started his throwing program Monday and felt good. He threw a light side session Tuesday and will continue his program Wednesday. Martinez is hoping Suero can get on a mound and throw a bullpen sometime this week.