On Tuesday, Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Josh Bell left the West Virginia Power game in the fourth inning after an injury running the bases in the third. Bell hit a two-out single to center field in the bottom of the third inning, but pulled up rounding first base after tweaking his knee. He was pulled from the game and replaced by Willy Garcia in the outfield.
Bell went in for an MRI on Wednesday. He underwent surgery on the meniscus in his left knee on Thursday. The surgery was performed by Dr. Patrick DeMeo in Pittsburgh.
Bell will be returning to Bradenton to begin his rehab and he is expected to return to action later this season.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
ARod had an injury similar to Josh Bell. Expect a potential 6-8 week recovery period before he returns to the field.
Was it a tear or haven’t they released the extent of the injury?