Amid a 12-26 start to the season, which has included seven straight losses and 10 defeats in the last 11 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates have fired manager Derek Shelton, the team announced on Thursday.

"Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years," general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. "His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that. He's an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter."

The Pirates named bench coach Don Kelly as the franchise's new manager.

"I believe strongly that Donnie is the right person to manage the team right now," Cherington added. "He has the skills and experience needed to do this job really well and deeply cares about the Pirates and Pittsburgh. I look forward to working with him even more closely."

This will be Kelly's first managerial job.

As for Shelton, he concludes his five-plus year tenure in Pittsburgh with a 306-440 record with no postseason appearances.