Hitting coach fired as Yankees stumble into break

NEW YORK -- Hitting coach Dillon Lawson was fired by the New York Yankees after Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs, a rare midseason change by a franchise that has prized stability since Hal Steinbrenner took over from his father as controlling owner.

New York's .231 batting average is 28th among the 30 major league teams, ahead of only Detroit and Oakland. The Yankees are batting a major league-worst .218 in 31 games since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3, going 14-17 and entering the All-Star break in fourth place of the AL East at 49-42.

"It has been well documented that I have been reluctant in the past to make changes to our coaching staff in the middle of a season," general manager Brian Cashman said. "I am a big believer that successes and failures are collective efforts. However, I ultimately felt that a change was needed and that a new voice overseeing our hitting operations would give us the best chance to perform closer to our capabilities as we move forward into the second half of our season."

No replacement was announced, and Cashman said the position hasn't been offered to anyone yet.

"I think it's a great opportunity for someone to come in here," he said.

Lawson, 38, joined the Yankees as minor league hitting coordinator for 2019 and was promoted to major league hitting coach for 2022. He was an assistant coach at Lindenwood from 2007 to '09, Morehead State from 2009 to 2012 and Southeast Missouri State from 2012 to '15, then worked for the Houston Astros at Tri-City in 2016 and Quad Cities in 2018, spending 2017 as hitting coach at the University of Missouri.

"I want to thank Dillon for all his efforts," Cashman said. "He has a bright baseball mind that will continue to lead to a long and fruitful baseball career."

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press was used in this report.