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Pirate City Notes: Nova Goes Six Innings, Bell Expected to be Ready For Opening Day

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BRADENTON, Fla. – Ivan Nova only pitched six innings at Pirate City today. He threw 97 pitches, with a goal of getting near 100 pitches on the day. Yet he got enough outs for more than ten innings of work.

Nova was getting a lot of quick outs on the ground today, which led to a lot of extended innings where he had to stay on the mound to throw more pitches. He recorded 31 outs in total on the day, with 21 of them retired in three pitches or less. He even saw a triple play turned behind him, which was a first for him.

“That guy in left field made a really good play,” Nova said. “They were playing hard out there. It was good to see guys playing hard out there.”

The left fielder was Jordan Luplow, who made a diving catch on a low liner that looked like it was going to hit the ground. It was a close play, and wasn’t clear whether he caught it until the umpire ruled an out. He fired to second to catch the runner on second. The runner at first was already standing on second, but the ball was thrown to first to get the final out.

This led to everyone starting to walk off the field. But the coaches ordered everyone to stay back out on the field so Nova could get more pitches. He got a one pitch ground out. “Stay out there.” A two pitch ground out against old friend Harold Ramirez. “Stay out there.” After about eight outs that inning, Nova was able to wrap things up.

“A lot of extra hitters and getting quick outs, staying out there for a couple more pitches. That was the point,” Nova said.

Nova said that he’s excited to get to the start of the season, and that everything is going well so far this spring. But when asked if he’s feeling to the point where he was in the final two months last year, he said he’ll need some more work and refining this spring.

“I’ve got to be honest. I feel strong, but to get to that will be a little bit longer,” Nova said. “But at least I’m getting ready for the season. Once you throw two or three games, then you start feeling better and better every time out.”

He also got a few chances at the plate today, laying down a bunt and getting a grounder to the pitcher.

“At least I didn’t strike out today, that’s a good sign,” Nova joked after the game.

There was one moment when he reached base on the grounder, which resulted in a fielder’s choice after a rundown between second and third. Nova waited on the base, wondering if they would send out a pinch runner. Then, while waiting, he took a lead off the bag and did a fake slide back to the bag while looking at the dugout, wondering if he should practice his lead and base running. He was replaced by a pinch runner.

Nova hasn’t had to work on his hitting in the past during Spring Training, playing in the American League for his entire career. It’s now something he has to work on, which he embraced, since it gives him a little something else to work on, rather than pitching all the time.

“That’s part of the focus,” Nova said. “It’s not only pitching in the National League, you’ve got to hit. Two days ago, Gerrit Cole got a base hit and two RBIs. That’s what you want to help us out.”

Josh Bell Expected to be Ready Opening Day

Josh Bell had the option of being the DH today at LECOM to get some at-bats. Instead, he went to Pirate City, where he was able to get ten at-bats, getting most of his work from the left side. Bell said that the work was “much needed”, allowing him to get his timing down.

“It was good to be able to get out here, face guys in repetitive at-bats,” Bell said. “Just working on a feel thing, on timing. The first time I came over here, I was really late getting my foot down. I couldn’t attack the pitches in my zone. So today, I was really able to do that. Get the bat head out in front of my body. I felt good. I can leave going into tomorrow’s off day with a smile on my face.”

Bell got off to a late start this camp due to his knee surgery in January. His timing issues are only from the left side, and nine of his ten at-bats came from that side today, with two hits and two walks.

“I really felt good getting back into the swing of things right-handed,” Bell said. “And then it was just a timing thing lefty. It took a little bit of time for me to be able to pull the trigger on those pitches. I felt like the ball was there before I was able to get my foot down. Now, my foot is down on time, and I can feel that extension through the ball. I’m taking good swings on off-speed, and spitting on pitches I shouldn’t swing at. If I can just work off of that, I’ll be in a good place.”

From a health perspective, Bell said that he’s ready to go for Opening Day. He still needs to get ready from a game perspective, but there doesn’t seem to be any concern about him missing the start of the season. Clint Hurdle said today that he thinks Bell will be physically ready, and that they expect him to be ready for the start of the season.

“I feel great. I feel really good to go,” Bell said. “The body was there, and now it’s just getting the repetitions to feel hitter-ish in the box. For me to feel like not day one of Spring Training, but if it’s game seven in the World Series, I feel confident with my five plate appearances. I’m there now, especially after today. Yesterday was a good test for me. Just getting the bat head out in front lefty. Just working off of that, now that I’ve got a couple of hits underneath my belt and have that confidence and continue to move forward.”

Other Notes

**Brandon Waddell and JT Brubaker both got up to four innings today in the Double-A game. Expect both to be in the Altoona rotation this year. Waddell was sitting 88-92 MPH, while Brubaker was around 90-94. They were the fifth and sixth round picks in the 2015 draft, respectively, and both could be relief options in the majors, with a ceiling of a back of the rotation starter.

**Chris Stewart caught Ivan Nova and got a few at-bats in the Triple-A game. Pat Light came on and pitched two innings, and Jared Lakind closed things out in the ninth inning. It was almost like a game at LECOM, especially during innings where Stewart, Bell, and Nova were at the plate.

**Christian Kelley hit a home run in the Double-A game. He is slated to be the starting catcher in Bradenton this year. He has strong defense behind the plate, but could be a guy to watch if he figures out the offense.

**Ke’Bryan Hayes continues playing with the Bradenton group, and Will Craig continues playing mostly first base in games. At this point, I’d be shocked if Hayes starts somewhere other than Bradenton.

**The Pirates have most of their hitters playing above their expected levels. The Double-A guys are playing in the Triple-A game. The Bradenton guys are in the Double-A game. West Virginia plays the High-A game. The short-season players fill out the Low-A game.

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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