The Pittsburgh Pirates have fired hitting coach David Eckstein.

The last-place Pirates have struggled offensively all season. They entered Monday last in the majors in runs scored, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage plus slugging.

"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," Ben Cherington said in a statement. "We wish Rick all the best moving forward."