DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies fired hitting coach Hensley Meulens and replaced him with former manager Clint Hurdle on Thursday.
The Rockies, who had the day off before starting a series against the Nationals, are 3-15. They are hitting .220, tied for 27th with 12 homers and last with 52 runs.
The 57-year-old Meulens had been the club’s hitting coach under manager Bud Black since 2022. He served in the same position for the San Francisco Giants, helping manager Bruce Bochy guide that organization to three World Series titles.
Hurdle managed the Rockies from 2002-09, a tenure highlighted by a trip to the World Series in 2007. He was the club’s minor league hitting coach from 1994-96 and big league hitting coach under Don Baylor, Jim Leyland and Buddy Bell from 1997-2002. He later worked with the Rangers before managing the Pirates from 2011-19.
The 67-year-old Hurdle has been a special assistant to Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt since December 2021.
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