The Pittsburgh Pirates were sinking in the standings and in search of a spark when they called up Jameson Tailon to help their rotation with Gerrit Cole on the disabled list. Then when Tailon got hurt, Pittsburgh called up fellow top prospect Tyler Glasnow, who pitched well in his MLB debut. Now the Pirates have turned to its lineup and providing a spark, as they've called up first baseman Josh Bell from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Bell's former trainer, Logan Stout, broke the news as he tweeted congratulations to the young first baseman. Then Fanrag Sports' Jon Heyman later confirmed the news, though the Pirates have not officially announced it.
The 23-year-old Bell hammered the baseball at Triple-A this season as he put his power and approach at the plate on display. 83 games, Bell has hit 13 home runs, 19 doubles, drove in 53 runs and owns a .324/.407/.535 triple-slash line with a remarkable K/BB ratio of 55/41, as he displayed strong patience at the plate this season.
Bell's promotion to the majors, where he is expected to make his Triple-A debut on Friday, likely means John Jaso will move into a backup role. While the 32-year-old first baseman owns a .352 on-base percentage and has worked as the Pirates' leadoff hitter, he held just a .313 OBP in June. If Jaso is moved to the bench, he would likely function as a utility player who can play first base or the corner outfield spots.