MLB Player News

Bell is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Guardians.

Bell returned to action in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader after missing the previous four contests with a groin issue. While Bell seems to be healthy now, the Nationals are going with James Wood at designated hitter and Alex Call in left field for Wednesday's series finale.

Steer started in left field and went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Atlanta.

Steer made his first outfield start of the season. He opened the year with a shoulder injury that limited him to DH before improving enough to play first base the last three weeks. He joins the rotation of bodies filling for the injured Austin Hays (hamstring) in left field.

Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Marlins.

It's the fourth time in the last 10 games that Ohtani has gone yard, a stretch in which the 30-year-old superstar is batting .385 (15-for-39) with a blistering 11 extra-base hits, including five doubles and two triples. On the season, he boasts a .296/.399/.607 slash line with 10 homers, 10 steals, 15 RBI and 38 runs in 34 contests.

Schwarber went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, two RBI, a stolen base and a walk in Tuesday's victory against Tampa Bay.

Schwarber drilled a solo shot to begin the second inning for his 12th home run of the year to tie the MLB lead. He walked and stole second base in the third inning before knocking an RBI single and scoring another run in the eighth. It was his second multi-hit performance over his last 16 games and his first three-hit outing since April 8. Schwarber's OPS jumped to .999 with 16 extra-base hits, three stolen bases and 28 RBI through 156 plate appearances.

Burleson went 1-for-3 with a two-run double in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Pirates.

After getting off to a very quiet start to the campaign, Burleson is starting to get back on track at the plate recently. The slugging first baseman is now riding a five-game hitting streak, during which he's batting .263 (5-for-19) with two home runs, one double and five RBI. The lefty-hitting Burleson should remain on the strong side of a platoon with Luken Baker going forward.

Bell (groin) will serve as Washington's designated hitter and bat fourth in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Guardians.

Bell has been out since Saturday due to a groin injury and sat out the first game of Tuesday's twin bill, but he'll return to the starting nine for the nightcap. The 32-year-old has struggled to break out of his slump to start the season, going just 3-for-19 with a homer over his last five games.

Bell (groin) is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Guardians, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Bell hasn't seen the field since Friday due to the groin issue, and his absence will extend into Game 1 of Tuesday's twin bill. It's unclear if the veteran slugger will be available for the nightcap. James Wood is receiving another look at designated hitter while Alex Call starts in left field with Bell out.

Yelich went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional run, a walk and a stolen base in Monday's 5-1 win against the Astros.

Yelich hit the only home run in the contest, smashing a 413-foot, two-run shot to center field in the third inning. The veteran slugger also swiped a bag following an eighth-inning walk and subsequently came around to score. It was the second time this season that Yelich has homered and stolen a base in the same contest. That could be a sign Yelich is emerging from a rut that saw him go 1-for-20 with 10 strikeouts over his previous five games heading into Monday.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base in Monday's win against the Marlins.

Ohtani walked, stole second base and scored a run in the third inning. He later belted a two-run shot in the fifth inning for his ninth long ball of the year. He's gone deep three times in his last six appearances after a seven-game homerless drought. Ohtani owns a .292/.399/.585 slash line with 17 extra-base hits and 10 steals over 153 plate appearances.

Winker has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain and is expected to miss the next 6-to-8 weeks, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

This is unfortunate news for Winker, who was officially placed on the 10-day injured list Monday after suffering a side injury during the first game of Sunday's twin bill against the Cardinals. The injury will open up plenty of opportunities for Starling Marte and Brett Baty in the DH slot.