The Pirates announced Monday morning that hitting coach Rick Eckstein has been relieved of his duties as major league hitting coach.
The club will not have a formal interim hitting coach to take his place this season. Assistant hitting coach Christian Marrero remains with the organization.
“We are grateful for Rick’s dedication to the team and our players,” general manager Ben Cherington said in the press release. “This was a difficult decision as we have a great deal of respect for Rick. Making the decision now gives us the opportunity to use the rest of the season to focus on improvements in our hitting program while also starting the process of looking for a replacement.