Nationals first baseman Josh Bell is having a great spring, going 11-for-30 (.364) with four home runs and nine RBIs. He had the day off for Saturday’s 7-4 win over the Marlins.

Those stats don’t tell the whole story for manager Dave Martinez. He loves the fact that Bell accepts taking a walk, which Bell has already done five times.

“We wanted him to be aggressive in the strike zone. We talked about that with him. Yet, he understands that taking his bases is part of the process,” Martinez said. “I love having him. He is unique. He is a switch-hitter with power from both sides. He loves to play the game. He is a great teammate in the clubhouse.”

Bell, 28, has been in the Major Leagues for five seasons, but he is trying to learn from younger teammates, such as Juan Soto. Bell is watching Soto’s routine on a regular basis. Why not? After all, Soto is the best player on the team.

“To say that about a 22-year old … is pretty impressive,” Martinez said. “It’s pretty impressive that it doesn’t matter who it is. Bell wants to continue to learn and get better.”

Voth shuts down Marlins

Nationals right-hander Austin Voth had his best outing of the spring, pitching four shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out five batters Saturday night.

Voth, who is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, felt like he was under control for the most part. The only time he was in trouble was in the first inning. The Marlins had runners on first and second with one out, but Voth struck out Adam Duvall and Brian Anderson to end the threat. 

Voth was at his best with his curveball; however he's still working on getting rid of some of the kinks, mainly in his release point. 

“I feel I put myself in the position to either be the fifth starter or go into the bullpen. I’ll be whatever they need me to be,” Voth said.

Guerra trying to make an impression

Reliever Javy Guerra, a non-roster invitee, was hit hard Friday against the Astros. In one inning plus five batters he allowed five runs. Martinez still sees him in the mix for the Opening Day roster.

It helps that Guerra is a veteran who never complains and takes the ball in any situation. He also was a member of the 2019 Nationals that won the World Series. According to Martinez, Guerra is a positive player and helps the young guys in the bullpen.

“I thought he threw the ball well the first inning. The second inning he was getting a little tired,” Martinez said. “This is part of the process right now with these guys that we think can pitch multiple innings. We just have to get them stretched out. It was his day to get stretched out. I really feel like he can help us in a lot of different ways. I love Javy. He attacks the strike zone. The guy wants to pitch for me, regardless of how many innings, how many pitches.”

Worth noting

Nationals center fielder Victor Robles, who left Friday’s game against the Astros because of back tightness, is feeling much better after taking some swings on Saturday. However, he was given Saturday off and hopes to be back in the lineup on Sunday against the Mets.