Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Bell took Miles Mikolas deep in the first inning for his first long ball of the spring. The 32-year-old slugger is expected to be the regular DH for the Nationals this season while backing up Nathaniel Lowe at first base, and Bell posted the best numbers of his career during his first stint with Washington in 2021-22, slashing .278/.363/.483 over 247 games with 41 homers and 145 RBI.
Bell signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Nationals on Sunday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Bell will return to Washington, where he previously played in 2021 and part of 2022. The 32-year-old played in 145 games between the Marlins and Diamondbacks in 2024, batting .249 with 19 home runs, 71 RBI and 62 runs scored. With Nathaniel Lowe set to hold down first base with the Nationals this season, Bell will likely use his switch-hitting ability to operate as the team's primary designated hitter in 2025.
Bell entered as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1 in Saturday's 5-0 win over Milwaukee.
Bell stayed in the game to serve as the designated hitter but didn't get any more plate appearances. Saturday's appearance was his first since last Sunday. The September returns of Christian Walker, Ketel Marte and more recently, Lourdes Gurriel, give the Diamondbacks more lineup options, limiting Bell's opportunities. Bell, who had 112 plate appearances during the month of August over 26 games, has just 43 this month with seven games left in the regular season.
