Bell will start at first base and bat cleanup in Thursday's matinee against the Tigers.

EDGE Analysis

He had two of Pittsburgh's three hits Wednesday and also reached base with a walk. Bell hasn't started two of the last four games with opponents starting southpaws, as he's slashing .228/.301/.457 in 92 at-bats against right-handed pitching. Overall, he carries an .803 OPS through 113 games and has seen nearly the same number of pitches (4.05 per plate appearance) as he did last season (4.06) -- both impressive numbers. Bell has never faced Thursday's righty starter Drew VerHagen, who's allowed a career slash line of .306/.410/.459 to left-handed hitters.