CHICAGO — Clint Hurdle is searching for a new cleanup hitter. Josh Bell, who has hit there in all 57 of his starts this season, has been removed from that spot in the Pirates' lineup, Hurdle told reporters Saturday morning at Wrigley Field.
Bell will bat sixth with Cubs left-hander Jon Lester on the mound, and Francisco Cervelli will hit cleanup for a second consecutive game, although Hurdle hasn't settled on a permanent replacement for Bell.
Despite Bell's struggles, the change is somewhat of a surprise since Hurdle has repeatedly ruled out moving the 25-year-old first baseman in the order. However, he thought it was necessary considering Bell's recent struggles and those by the Pirates' entire offense.
"Give it a different look, give him a different look, a different time to hit to see if it can help," Hurdle said.
Bell has regressed in his second full season in the major leagues. A finalist for National League Rookie of the Year in 2017, Bell is batting .236/.307/.369 with four home runs, 34 RBIs and 49 strikeouts to 25 walks. It hasn't been a season-long struggle, though.
Bell batted .346 with a 1.079 OPS through the first 16 games in May. He's batted only .148 with nine hits and a .435 OPS in the 18 games since. He was out of the lineup Friday with David Freese starting at first base against left-handed starter Mike Montgomery, but he entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and grounded out with a runner on second base.
Situational hitting hasn't been the issue, though. He's batted .279 with a .747 OPS when runners are in scoring position, and he owns a .306 average with a .839 OPS when men are on base. On the other hand, he's batted only .171 when no one is on base. Prior to his early-May success, Bell and hitting coach Jeff Branson described his struggles as an issue with timing and pitch selection.
But Bell said early this week that his recent issues are a mechanical flaw in his swing where his lower and upper body are out of synch, leading to more weak ground balls and strikeouts. He was not in the visitors clubhouse Saturday morning during the media's availability, so it remains to be seen how he's responded to the move.
Hurdle deployed a similar tactic last season when Andrew McCutchen reached the Mendoza line in late May. McCutchen was moved to the six-hole, and he responded with his best month of the season, batting .402 over a 25-game stretch to raise his batting average to .270.
"I think it's just part of the routine," Hurdle said of Bell. "Maybe he can watch a couple more guys hit before he goes up. Maybe it postures him in a different part where he doesn't feel the pressure of hitting cleanup for a while and the guys that have been getting on base and him not being able to drive them in Now it's a different dynamic."
Bell spoke throughout spring training of wanting to drive in 100 runs. It wasn't a far-fetched goal, either. He batted .255 with a .800 OPS last season, hitting 26 home runs with 90 RBIs in a lineup that was without Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Francisco Cervelli for long stretches.
Bell had a .959 OPS in 51 at-bats during Grapefruit League play, but he's looked uncomfortable since the beginning of the regular season. His swing has been ugly at times. His swinging-strike rate is up, and he's batting only .167 against breaking pitches. Additionally, Bell's average exit velocity and launch angle are down from last season.
Bell isn't totally unfamiliar with batting sixth. He made seven starts in that spot last season and hit there five times in 2016. His struggles aren't the only reason Hurdle juggled his lineup, though. The Pirates are batting .209 with runners in scoring position over their past 20 games. They've won only five of those games and are below .500 for the first time this season.
Gregory Polanco, back in the lineup Saturday against the Cubs, is batting .207 with a .309 on-base percentage. Sean Rodriguez, starting at second base while Josh Harrison is away from the team to deal with a personal matter, is hitting .167 with 37 strikeouts in 102 at-bats.
Jordy Mercer, batting leadoff with Harrison out, has a .208 average with runners in scoring position. Hurdle informed Bell of the move Friday and the two spoke again Saturday morning. Hurdle urged Bell to not overthink the decision and encouraged him to use the extra time in the dugout watching his teammates bat.
"It goes back to, in a simplistic fashion, he's still going to hit," Hurdle said. "He's going to hit two batters later. He may hit with more men on base in this position, he may hit with less men on base in this position. I don't know. It's something different. We've rearranged the living room furniture. ... He has to find a different way to cross the road. That's all."
