Pitching coach Juan Nieves was fired by the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
The Red Sox are 29th in team ERA (4.86) and starters ERA (5.54) and 25th in walks and hits per inning pitched, or WHIP, at 1.392.
Nieves was open in spring training about the Red Sox not having a true ace of the pitching staff without Jon Lester, who was traded in 2014. He said Feb. 20 his hope was certain pitchers would pitch like No. 1 starters on certain days. To date, that has not happened.
With a challenging road trip ahead after going 3-7 on the recent homestand, the Red Sox are likely trying to find a spark.
Nieves, a former big-league pitcher, joined the Red Sox prior to the 2013 season in which Boston won the World Series.