Josh Bell DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (groin) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The switch-hitting slugger was pulled out of Friday's contest due to a groin issue. As a result, Bell will take a seat on Saturday as well, but he's not expected to be placed on the injured list. The Nats are just going to be cautious and give him a little time to rest and recover. In his absence, James Wood will serve as the designated hitter while Alex Call moves into the outfield on Saturday.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz and first baseman Josh Bell are out of the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Riley Adams is behind the dish and is batting eighth, while Nathaniel Lowe is starting at first base and is hitting cleanup for the Nats against Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney. James Wood is the designated hitter and is batting second. Ruiz is getting his second day off of the season after starting strong with a .317 average (20-for-63) with two homers and 11 RBI. The 26-year-old should be back for Friday's series opener in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. Bell will get the day off against a lefty after going just 3-for-27 with a homer in the last seven games. Adams has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Heaney, while Lowe has two hits in both of his at-bats against Heaney.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Washington Nationals are signing free agent first baseman Josh Bell to a one-year contract worth $6 million. Bell opened the 2024 campaign with the Miami Marlins before being acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks later in the season. Across 145 total games, the switch-hitter held a .249/.319/.405 line with 19 home runs, 23 doubles, and a 51:210 BB:K ratio. Under the hood, the veteran generated a below-average .310 xwOBA and modest 40.1% hard-hit rate. Bell spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons in D.C. and held an impressive .301/.384/.493 line in 2022. While the Nationals acquired first baseman Nate Lowe earlier this week from Texas, Bell should be penciled into the DH spot on a daily basis. If he can see his power numbers climb, he could be worth a look in deeper NL-only formats.