Return to Pirates' lineup on horizon for Bell
BRADENTON, Fla. -- If all goes well, Pirates first baseman Josh Bell could be back in the lineup at some point next week.Bell is in the "final stages" of game preparation following Feb. 1 surgery to remove a loose body from his left knee, head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said
BRADENTON, Fla. -- If all goes well, Pirates first baseman Josh Bell could be back in the lineup at some point next week.
Bell is in the "final stages" of game preparation following Feb. 1 surgery to remove a loose body from his left knee, head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday. The plan is to have Bell run the bases and participate in simulated games later this week. He has been hitting, fielding and running on the field.
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Immediately after Bell's surgery, the Pirates said his status for Opening Day was to be determined. With about a month left in Spring Training before the Bucs' first game at Fenway Park on April 3, it seems likely Bell will be ready for the start of the season.
Trainer's room
• Catcher
"The quote from Francisco was he wasn't even thinking about his right foot," Tomczyk said.
• Catcher
• Right-handers
"They're where they need to be right now," Tomczyk said. "We'll make adjustments, increase their workload or decrease their workload accordingly."
Pre-arb contracts settled
The Pirates agreed to terms with 21 pre-arbitration eligible players on contracts for this season.
With 19 others previously determined through guaranteed deals or the arbitration process, everyone on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster now has a salary set for this year.
Second time around
Reliever Jared Hughes gave up five runs (four earned) on three hits and two walks while recording one out in his spring debut on Sunday, but he was better Wednesday at Hammond Stadium. Hughes permitted a hit and a walk but finished a scoreless inning with two ground-ball outs in the Pirates' 3-1 win over the Twins.
"Right now, I'm making the adjustments needed," Hughes said. "I came out in that first outing last week, and it wasn't very good. I was on the side of the ball. It was just kind of an inconsistent mess, if you will. … We're starting to see a little bit of an adjustment, and it's getting a little better."
Adam Berry has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since 2015. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook, read his blog and listen to his podcast.