The first MLB firing of the season is now in the books with the Pirates moving on from Derek Shelton amid a 12-26 start in his sixth season with the team, the franchise announced Thursday.

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<figcaption>Derek Shelton did not lead the Pirates to any winning seasons. <span class="credit">AP</span></figcaption>

Bench coach Don Kelly has been elevated to manager.

Shelton, 54, coached the Pirates to a 306-440 record during his tenure, with Pittsburgh never topping 76 wins in any campaign.

“Derek is a good man who did a lot for the Pirates and Pittsburgh, but it was time for a change,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. “The first quarter of the season has been frustrating and painful for all of us. We have to do better. I know that. (General manager) Ben (Cherington) knows that. Our coaches know that. Our players know that.

“There is a lot of baseball left to be played. We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization.”

Things are not going well in Pittsburgh.{ai:summary}<p>The Pittsburgh Pirates have fired manager Derek Shelton following a disappointing 12-26 start to the season. Shelton, who had a record of 306-440 in his six seasons, did not lead the team to any winning campaigns. Bench coach Don Kelly has been promoted to replace him.</p><p>Pirates owner Bob Nutting emphasized the need for change, acknowledging the team's struggles and expressing urgency to improve performance moving forward. #sports</p>

Pirates fire Derek Shelton after 38 games in first manager axing of MLB season

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