A’s dismiss pitching coach Scott Emerson

WEST SACRAMENTO -- Heading into the All-Star break on a brutal nine-game losing streak, the Athletics dismissed pitching coach Scott Emerson on Monday.

Emerson was a longtime staple of the A’s organization, joining as a Minor League pitching coach in 2002 and coaching at several of the club’s affiliates for over a decade. He was hired as the A’s bullpen coach in 2014 and served in that role for three seasons before getting elevated to pitching coach in 2017.

Many things have gone wrong for the A’s (41-55) in a stretch that has seen them lose 17 of their past 20 games, dropping from second place in the AL West and only a half-game back of first to fourth place and eight games back in that span, but pitching has been a clear weakness throughout. The team’s combined 5.21 ERA is the worst in the AL and trails only the Rockies (5.44) for the highest mark in the Majors.

As a starting staff, the 5.30 ERA posted by the A’s rotation also ranks 29th in MLB.

While the A’s begin a process of finding their next pitching coach, current A’s bullpen coach Dan Hubbs will serve that role on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. Hubbs joined the A’s in 2023 as a Minor League pitching performance coach and previously spent two seasons as director of pitching development and strategies with the Tigers.