Pirates' Josh Bell still working on transition from outfield

A right fielder most of his baseball life, Josh Bell never played first base until he joined the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League.

That was 2014. He was 22 years old.

By 2017, he was playing 147 games at first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and this season, he became the team’s first player to start three consecutive openers there since Adam LaRoche (2009).

Never satisfied, Bell was working in the infield apart from his teammates Wednesday afternoon, four hours before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.

“Continue to try to lower that arm slot from where I was in the outfield,” he said. “Continue to try and grow in that regard.”

He said Wednesday was the first time since the final days of spring training he was able to work on specific aspects of his game, including throws to first, second and home plate.

“It was good to get out there,” he said while sweat beaded on his face. “You get that every day in camp.

“Bouncing around with a couple road games, Houston and Cincinnati, you kind of miss that with the weather. I’m going to try to get out there as much as I can and work my tail off out there and get back at my routine.”

Dickerson out

JB Shuck, who was hitless in seven plate appearances over the first three games, made his second start of the season Wednesday when left fielder Corey Dickerson was rested with right shoulder soreness. Shuck started in center field Thursday in Cincinnati when Starling Marte complained of a migraine.

Dickerson is listed as day-to-day, but he was available to pinch-hit, if necessary, Wednesday.

Diaz starts in Bradenton

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said catcher Elias Diaz, who missed most of spring training with a virus, will begin a rehab assignment Thursday when he starts behind the plate for the Single-A Bradenton Marauders.

In other injury news, right fielders Gregory Polanco (shoulder) and Lonnie Chisenhall (finger) are making progress, Tomczyk said.

He said Polanco has built up to seven innings of baseball work — no regular games yet — while continuing to work to restore his range of motion and arm strength.

“He has been throwing at some appropriate distances that he needs to throw and show to himself and the staff that he is ready for major league competition,” Tomczyk said. “If he continues to head on the path that he is, we may be announcing soon that he could begin a rehab assignment. We’re not there yet.”

Tomczyk said Chisenhall has started gripping a baseball and simulating throws.

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