Pirates’ Bell named NL player of the week
As a fitting end to a fine Pirates road trip — seven wins in 11 game in St. Louis, Phoenix and San Diego — Josh Bell picked up a deserving honor Monday.
One of MLB’s hottest hitters and now its co-RBI leader, Bell on Monday was named the National League’s player of the week for games played May 13-19 after hitting .407 (11 for 27) with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs.
Bell also had a .484 onbase percentage and .889 slugging percentage.
It’s the first career player of the week award for Bell and the first for a Pirates position player since Andrew McCutchen in October 2017.
Bell will enter a home game Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies with 14 home runs. That’s the most for a Pirates player through 44 games since Willie Stargell had 15 in 1973.
Two of Bell’s seven games in this period featured multihomer games, the second and third for him this season (May 4, 14 and 18). He’s the first Pirates player since Brian Giles (August 1999) to register three multi-homer games in a single month.
On a hectic day at Citi Field, slumping New York announced it is sticking with embattled manager Mickey Callaway “for the foreseeable future” — and sidelined slugger Yoenis Cespedes broke his right ankle in an accident on his ranch. Cespedes has been out most of the past two seasons and was recovering from surgery on both heels. New York had hoped he could return sometime after the All-Star break, but this latest setback certainly puts Cespedes’ entire season — and perhaps his career — in jeopardy.
Atlanta added veteran help for their patchwork bullpen by acquiring righthander Anthony Swarzak from Seattle for left-hander Jesse Biddle and righthander Arodys Vizcaino. As part of the trade, Seattle is sending Atlanta $1,788,172 to cover about one-third of the $5,677,419 remaining in Swarzak’s $8 million salary this year. Vizcaino opened the season as Atlanta’s closer, then had season-ending surgery April 17 on his right shoulder. His replacement, A.J. Minter, struggled and was optioned May 10 to Class AAA Gwinnett.
Biddle, 27, was designated for assignment by the Braves Wednesday after walking 10 batters in 11⅔ innings. He had a 5.40 ERA as he failed to repeat his success from 2018, when he was 6-1 with a 3.11 ERA.
Luke Jackson has six saves in nine chances as the Braves’ latest closer.
Swarzak, 33, has a 5.27 ERA and three saves in six chances this season for the Mariners. He had an 8.64 ERA in his last nine appearances. Swarzak had four saves with the Mets in 2018.
Yankees
Shortstop Didi Gregorius played five innings of defense and went 2 for 4 with a walk Monday at extended spring training in his first game action since Tommy John surgery Oct. 17. Playing against Detroit Tigers minor leaguers and in front of Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, Gregorius singled twice and cleanly fielded three grounders but had an error for an errant throw to first base. Gregorius is coming back from surgery to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He appears on track to soon start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment with Class A Tampa and rejoin the Yankees in mid-to-late June.