Bell hit his third homer of the season -- and second in four games -- Friday against the Giants.

EDGE Analysis

After struggling for much of the time since the Pirates' opening series in Detroit, Bell has strung together a modest four-game hitting streak (5-for-15) with a triple, two homers and four RBI. His 432-foot home run Friday represented the second-longest homer by a Pirate in 2018. Considering Bell totaled just three extra-base hits in his previous 17 starts, the recent power uptick bodes well for fantasy owners.

Bell went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Playing in an American League park, Bell served as the DH on Tuesday and also reached via a walk and scored a pair of runs in the win. The 25-year-old has just two home runs on the year and his .366 slugging percentage is a full 100 points below last year's mark. Hitting in the heart of the order should provide Bell with his run-producing opportunities, but he'll also need to start leaving the yard more frequently to start paying more dividends for fantasy owners.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, one RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

Bell drove a relatively meaningless pitch from Jorge Lopez over the center field wall, with the Pirates already up 7-0 at the time. However, the shot was a needed one for Bell, as it was only his ninth extra-base hit of the season. The result has been just a .346 slugging percentage, and if he hopes to match his .466 slugging percentage from last season, he'll have to start lifting the ball in the air more.

Bell is not in Thursday's lineup against the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

The first baseman is batting .169 in his last 59 at-bats and has just one homer in 2018. For the season, Bell is slashing .237/.305/.331. By comparison, he slashed .235/.340/.407 with four homers through the first 27 games in 2017. David Freese will start in Bell's place.

Bell is out of the lineup Thursday against the Nationals, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Bell will be joined on the bench by fellow lineup regulars Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer as the Pirates wrap up their series in Washington with a matinee. With just one home run and a .237 average across 131 plate appearances this season, Bell has been a disappointment thus far for the Pirates and fantasy owners, but there's no indication that he's in any real danger of consistently losing at-bats to David Freese, who will start at first base in Bell's stead Thursday.

Bell went 0-for-4 against Washington on Monday, dropping his batting average to a season-low .232 in 112 at-bats.

EDGE Analysis

Since starting 2018 with a six-game hitting streak, the first baseman has slashed .193/.260/.261 in his last 96 plate appearances. He's collected just seven extra-base hits, including one homer, with an .089 ISO -- well below his career mark (.181 ISO). In three seasons, Bell has hit .232 through June and .270 thereafter. It's still a relatively small sample, but it's possible the 25-year-old native Texan simply hits better in warm weather. He continues to bat exclusively from the cleanup spot as Pittsburgh has shown no signs of wavering with the switch hitter.

Bell collected a pinch-hit triple Sunday against the Phillies.

EDGE Analysis

The triple, his first of the season, gives him three hits in his last 24 at-bats. Pittsburgh starts a six-game homestand Tuesday and Bell will face at least four right-handed starters, against whom the switch-hitter holds a career slash line of .270/.346/.461.

General manager Neal Huntington said Bell is available to pinch-hit Sunday against the Phillies.

EDGE Analysis

Speaking on his weekly radio show Sunday, Huntington said that the team is looking to give the first baseman a rest, pairing Sunday with Monday's off-day. Bell had played in every inning of Pittsburgh's first 21 games before coming out of the sixth inning of Saturday's game as part of a double-switch.

Bell is not in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

EDGE Analysis

Bell got off to a strong start this season but has now collected just two hits in his last 23 at-bats, bringing his season average down to a .244 mark. He'll get the day off to hopefully reset, with David Freese manning first base in his stead.

Bell is batting .500 with two homers and two doubles in 14 at-bats against Thursday starter Jake Arrieta.

EDGE Analysis

The first baseman snapped out of a 5-for-28 (with eight strikeouts) slide Wednesday, collecting two hits and three RBI. Although the sample size against Arrieta is minute, he's seeing the ball well once again and makes for an interesting play Thursday.