Detroit Tigers’ A.J. Hinch reacts to Don Kelly taking over as Pittsburgh Pirates manager

• Tigers manager A.J. Hinch offered advice to Don Kelly, the Pirates’ new manager, after Derek Shelton’s firing.
• Kelly, a former Tigers utility player, served as Hinch’s bench coach in Houston in 2019.
• The Tigers and Pirates will face each other in two series later in the season.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch talked to Don Kelly recently.

He also talked to Derek Shelton.

The Pittsburgh Pirates fired Shelton on May 8 as the manager after a 12-26 start this season, replacing him by elevating Kelly from bench coach to manager. Kelly, a utility player for the Tigers from 2009-14, served as Hinch’s bench coach with the Houston Astros in 2019.

“I’m very close to both of them,” Hinch said May 9, “and I’ve been in those shoes, in both their shoes, when it comes to the guy being let go, but also having come in midseason one time in my career.”

MORE ABOUT HIM: Tigers’ A.J. Hinch: His peers consider him ‘one of the best managers in the game’

Hinch has managed 12 MLB seasons for three teams: Arizona Diamondbacks (2009-10), Astros (2015-19) and Tigers (2021-25). The 50-year-old has 902 wins in his 1,708-game managerial career, recording 89 with the Diamondbacks, 481 with the Astros and 332 with the Tigers.

In 2025, Hinch became the 75th manager in MLB history to reach 900 wins.

When Hinch and Kelly talked, the veteran manager shared advice for the newcomer to the manager’s chair. Over the past couple of years, Hinch has helped younger managers adjust to their roles as first-time MLB skippers.

Celebrate 125 epic seasons with the Tigers!

“With Donnie, I just wanted to encourage him and wish him luck as he gets underway,” Hinch said. “As much as he was one step away from that job, when you go actually sit in that chair and you get the whirlwind that happens in a 24-hour period where you go to being one of 30 managers, I’m sure he was excited, but there’s also a part of him that is disappointed that a close friend and a mentor of his was let go. He immediately called me. We had a chance to catch up for a few minutes. I wished him well, except for a few games down the road.”

The Tigers and Pirates play June 17-19 at Comerica Park in Detroit, then July 21-23 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

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