The Pirates announced Thursday that Derek Shelton has been relieved of his duties as manager, a shake-up that had become expected in recent weeks as the team fell further back in the National League Central.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have fired manager Derek Shelton following a rocky opening month to the season that saw Pittsburgh quickly slip into last place in the NL Central.

"Derek is a good man who did a lot for the Pirates and Pittsburgh, but it was time for a change," Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting said. "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."