Bell is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Andres Chaparro is in the designated hitter spot versus lefty David Peterson and could cut into Bell's playing time against southpaws moving forward. The switch-hitting Bell is just 2-for-39 at the dish versus left-handed pitching this season.

Bell is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Rangers.

EDGE Analysis

Bell will get a breather Friday after making nine consecutive starts, ceding DH duties to Alex Call while Nathaniel Lowe fills first base. During his nine-game starting streak, Bell went 11-for-33 (.333) with three homers and a 4:2 BB:K.

Bell went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Friday's 9-7 win over the Diamondbacks.

EDGE Analysis

After failing to record a multi-hit effort in any of his first 45 games this season, Bell has gone 7-for-14 with three homers and seven RBI over the last three contests. The 32-year-old put the Nationals ahead briefly in the third inning with his blast Friday. He's up to nine homers, 22 RBI, 18 runs scored and a .181/.277/.361 slash line. He's added just one double and one triple this season after recording at least 20 doubles in each of the last seven full-length campaigns, so he still has work to do in the power department, though that should come naturally if he can continue hitting at a higher level.

Bell went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Mariners.

EDGE Analysis

The long ball wasn't exactly clutch, as it closed the books on a seven-run 10th inning for the Nationals that blew open a 2-2 tie, but it's another encouraging sign that Bell is coming out of his early-season swoon. The 32-year-old has gone yard in back-to-back games, racking up five hits in those contests, and over his last 14 games he sports a .277/.370/.489 slash line with three of his eight homers on the year.

Bell went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a 9-0 win over Seattle.

EDGE Analysis

Bell slugged a solo homer to left field in the second inning and added two singles for his first multi-hit effort of the season. Incredibly, it took him 46 contests to achieve that feat, which explains why his season slash line still stands at a paltry .166/.264/.318. Bell has supplied a bit of pop with seven homers and has recorded a solid 10.7 percent walk rate, which have helped him remain the Nationals' primary DH despite his slow start to the campaign.

Bell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The switch-hitting Bell has produced an abysmal .065/.216/.129 slash line over 37 plate appearances against lefties this season, and the Nationals seem content to treat him as a platoon player for the time being. He'll remain on the bench for the second day in a row as the Nationals face off against another Giants lefty, this time Robbie Ray.

Bell isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Bell will take a seat on the bench Saturday after going 3-for-16 with a homer and two runs scored across his last five games. James Wood will act as Washington's designated hitter instead while Alex Call, Robert Hassell and Daylen Lile start across the outfield.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Orioles.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran slugger took Bryan Baker deep in the eighth inning, the last of five Nats long balls in a 10-4 rout. Bell has six homers and 15 RBI in 40 contests, but he's mostly had a miserable start to the season in his return to Washington -- incredibly, he has yet to collect multiple hits in the same game, leading to a .156/.242/.305 slash line.

Bell is not in the Nationals' starting lineup against the Orioles on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Bell will take a break Friday after going 5-for-18 with a 30 percent strikeout rate over his last five games. James Wood will serve as the Nationals' designated hitter and bat third against Orioles southpaw Cade Povich.

Bell isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Bell's early-season struggles continued with an 0-for-3 performance in Friday's series opener, and he'll now take a seat to begin Saturday's game. James Wood will serve as the Nationals' DH with Alex Call filling the void in left field.