Bell (HR, 2B) embraces return to Nationals Park

WASHINGTON -- It’s taken a little while for Josh Bell to settle in with his new team, with the switch-hitting slugger beginning his Guardians tenure mired in an ice-cold slump to begin the season.

Maybe all he needed was some familiarity.

Back in the ballpark he called home for parts of the past two seasons, Bell is showing signs of life. His first home run as a Guardian came in a key spot against his former team, and his eighth-inning double set up Andrés Giménez to score the decisive run in Friday’s come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Nationals at Nationals Park.

“It’s always a pleasure coming here,” Bell said. “At this point in the year, that feeling of comfortability will hopefully get me back on track offensively, and hopefully, I can keep things going throughout the rest of the year.”

Bell, who signed a two-year, $33 million deal with Cleveland over the winter, entered play hitting .109 (5-for-46) with zero homers in his first 12 games with the Guardians. Manager Terry Francona dropped him to sixth in the order for the second consecutive game Friday after recently having a reassuring conversation with his slumping slugger. Francona’s message?

“I asked him how he was doing the other day, and he said, ‘I’m OK,’” Francona said. ‘I said, ‘Take it from a guy who’s done this for 10 years. You’re a great guy, a great teammate. I’ve seen the back of your baseball card. You’ll get as hot as you got cold. You’ll enjoy it. In the meantime, don’t kill yourself.’ I know it’s easier said than done, but he’s an outstanding person, and he will get hot.”

The way Bell responded makes Francona sound prophetic. Bell received a nice ovation from the announced crowd of 21,367 at Nationals Park prior to his first at-bat. Then he rapped a seventh-inning solo homer that was vintage Bell, depositing a 98 mph Hunter Harvey fastball 410 feet over the high right-center field wall.

José Ramírez’s bases-loaded walk drove in the tying run later in the frame, and Giménez scored the eventual winning run on Will Brennan’s run-scoring groundout an inning later, after Bell’s double. James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase then brushed off growing concern over their early-season hiccups, working a scoreless inning each to close out the series opener.

But the main takeaway was Bell, who returned to the nation’s capital after spending parts of 2021 and ‘22 with the Nationals before being dealt to the Padres in the Juan Soto trade last summer. Bell had a 136 OPS+ in his tenure with the Nats, collecting 41 homers, 145 RBIs and National League Silver Slugger recognition (2022). But Bell also went through a transition phase with San Diego. The former All-Star hit just .192 with three homers in 53 games after the trade, including 2-for-26 (.077) in seven games against Washington.

“A lot of times, it happens with new guys -- no matter how old you are or how old you are, it happens, and it’s no fun,” Francona said. “I think he’s an extremely mature, grounded young man. He’s just not hitting the way he wants to hit yet, but he will.”

The way Bell swung the bat Friday night, he might be ready to break out.

“I was trying to be perfect there for a little bit,” Bell said. “But knowing how good this team is, all I really have to do is play my game and we’ll be right where we want to be as the course of the season goes on. There was some natural pressure I was putting on myself, but there is still a large chunk of the season left for me to right my wrongs.”