Rockies fire hitting coach Hensley Meulens

Field Level Media|published: Thu 17th April, 17:13 2025

Feb 20, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies coach Hensley Meulens (31) as shot during MLB Media Day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Former Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is back on the team's bench after it fired hitting coach Hensley Meulens on Thursday.

Hurdle will take over as hitting coach through the end of the season after the Rockies carried a .220 batting average and .629 OPS into Thursday's off day. Their batting average ranked 21st at the start of MLB play Thursday, while their OPS was 24th.

Colorado, at 3-15 and on a six-game losing streak, was also tied for 26th with 12 home runs.

Meulens, 57, has been the Rockies' hitting coach since the start of 2023 and was the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants when the club won World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Hurdle, 67, was the Rockies' manager from 2002-09, then went on to become the Pittsburgh Pirates' manager from 2011-19. He compiled a 534-625 record in his eight seasons on the Colorado bench.

Bud Black has been the Colorado manager since 2017, but his Rockies teams have lost at least 101 games in each of the previous two seasons.

--Field Level Media