Bell went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four total RBI in Monday's 6-3 win over the Astros.
Bell took Tatsuya Imai deep in each of his first two plate appearances, swatting a solo homer in the second inning before tagging the right-hander for a two-run shot in the fourth. Bell then singled home a run in the sixth, thereby driving in each of the Twins' first four runs of the game. Bell's two long balls snapped a 31-game home-run drought for the 33-year-old. On the season, he's slashing .223/.286/.361 with five homers, 28 RBI, 23 runs scored, one stolen base and a 14:43 BB:K across 182 plate appearances. Bell's .647 OPS is the lowest of his career.
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Twins' Josh Bell: On bench to begin Sunday
Rotowire
Bell isn't in the Twins' starting lineup Sunday against Milwaukee.
Bell had started eight straight games but went just 6-for-33 with a whopping 17 strikeouts and no walks during that stretch. He'll get at least a partial day off Sunday while Ryan Jeffers gets a day off his feet as the Twins' DH.
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Twins' Josh Bell: Getting breather Thursday
Rotowire
Bell is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Nationals.
It's a routine day off for Bell, who is slashing just .164/.215/.164 with no home runs over his last 15 tilts. Trevor Larnach is being used at designated hitter for the Twins in Thursday's matinee.
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Twins' Josh Bell: Taking seat Friday
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays.
The veteran slugger started the previous 16 games and will receive a day off after posting a .267/.333/.350 slash line during that span. Byron Buxton is resting his legs as the designated hitter in Bell's absence, which opens up center field for Austin Martin.
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Twins' Josh Bell: Hits third homer Thursday
Rotowire
Bell went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Tigers.
Bell was the only Minnesota player to collect multiple hits Thursday, and he logged the team's only extra-base knock with a solo shot off Jack Flaherty in the fourth inning. The 33-year-old Bell went 7-for-14 in the four-game series against the Tigers, driving in three runs. He's now slashing .317/.431/.634 with three home runs, 10 RBI, 11 runs scored and an 8:14 BB:K across 51 plate appearances on the season.
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Twins' Josh Bell: Collects three hits vs. Detroit
Rotowire
Bell went 3-for-4 with an RBI double during the Twins' 4-2 win over the Tigers on Tuesday.
Bell gave the Twins a 4-0 lead in the fifth after he smacked an RBI double off Tarik Skubal. Bell leads the Twins with four doubles, and his eight RBI are tied with Tristan Gray for the clubhouse lead. Bell has gone 9-for-34 (.265) with two home runs to open the 2026 campaign.
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Twins' Josh Bell: Homers again Thursday
Rotowire
Bell went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Royals.
The 33-year-old went deep for the second consecutive game by launching a homer off Steven Cruz in the ninth inning. His shot was one of three in the frame that blew the game open. Bell has been a strong point in the Twins lineup, leading the team in RBI with five so far. That production has been especially important for a Minnesota lineup that struggled last season, finishing 25th in total offense.
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Twins' Josh Bell: Connects for first homer
Rotowire
Bell went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, two walks and three total runs scored in Wednesday's 13-9 loss to the Royals.
Bell has gone 3-for-15 (.200) with four walks and seven strikeouts over his first five games this season. All three of his hits have gone for extra bases (two doubles, one homer). The 33-year-old is getting steady playing time as the Twins' designated hitter, but he's batted no higher than fifth in the order after being viewed as a potential cleanup hitter late in spring training.
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Twins' Josh Bell: Likely cleanup hitter
Rotowire
Bell went 0-for-2 with a walk in Sunday's Grapefruit win over Atlanta. He hit cleanup in the order in a lineup that was likely a preview of the regular lineup for the start of the regular season, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.
Bell is having a solid spring, as he's hitting .286 (12-for-42) with a home run and .839 OPS and a surprising steal of third base. He looks to have an everyday role between 1B and DH.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Out of lineup again Tuesday
Rotowire
Bell is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game in Atlanta.
Bell isn't dealing with any known injury, but this will be his second straight day out of the lineup. Luis Garcia is making his first-ever start at first base for the Nationals.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Idle against lefty
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Monday's game in Atlanta, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
He'll head to the bench for the series opener while Atlanta sends ace lefty Chris Sale to the hill. A switch hitter, Bell has been far more effective against right-handed pitching (.338 wOBA, 117 wRC+) than left-handed pitching (.247 wOBA, 55 wRC+) this season.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Out of lineup for first game
Rotowire
Bell is not in the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Atlanta.
Bell will get some rest in the first game but should be back in there for the nightcap. Andres Chaparro will cover first base and bat third in the first game of the twin bill.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Sitting out Thursday
Rotowire
Bell is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest in Miami.
Bell is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, having gone 8-for-15 with four home runs and 13 RBI over his last four games. However, the switch hitter often doesn't start against left-handed pitching, and that will be the case in Thursday's series finale as the Marlins send southpaw Ryan Weathers to the bump. Andres Chaparro will be at first base and bat fifth for the Nationals.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Homers again
Rotowire
Bell went 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's win over Miami.
Bell set the tone early with a three-run blast in the first inning. He later tacked on an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Bell has gone deep four times in the last three games, bringing him to 20 on the year and surpassing last year's total of 19. The veteran first baseman is now slashing .232/.324/.409 after entering the All-Star break with a .678 OPS.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Taking seat Sunday
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Bell will get a breather for the series finale after he went 1-for-16 with a double, two walks and one run while starting in each of the previous five contests. Andres Chaparro will replace Bell at first base Sunday and bat fifth.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Taking seat for finale
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.
The switch-hitting Bell has produced a lowly 51 wRC+ against left-handed pitching this season, so he'll retreat to the bench Sunday while the Rays send southpaw Ian Seymour to the hill. Andres Chaparro will spell Bell at first base and bat cleanup.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Out again versus lefty
Rotowire
Bell is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Yankees.
Southpaw Max Fried will toe the rubber for the Yankees, marking the third straight time that the switch-hitting Bell has been out of the lineup against a lefty. Andres Chaparro will play first base in the series finale.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Getting day off versus lefty
Rotowire
Bell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
The switch-hitting Bell has mustered a lowly .138/.250/.276 slash line with a 23 percent strikeout rate in 100 plate appearances against southpaws this season, so his absence from the lineup with lefty Ranger Suarez on the hill for Philadelphia doesn't come as a major surprise. Andres Chaparro will replace Bell at first base and bat cleanup.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Bell is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mets.
Bell, who slugged his 16th home run of the season in Wednesday's victory over New York, will get a routine day off for the series finale. James Wood will occupy the designated-hitter spot and Andres Chaparro will start at first base Thursday.
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Nationals' Josh Bell: Out of Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The absence ends a run of eight consecutive starts for Bell, who had a .940 OPS with two doubles and two homers during that span. Paul DeJong is picking up a start at first base Sunday for Washington.
