HOUSTON — A.J. Hinch has been introduced as the new manager of the Houston Astros.
Hinch takes over for Bo Porter, who was fired on Sept. 1 in his second year. Tom Lawless ran the team for the rest of the season on an interim basis. The Astros finished 70-92 and fourth in the AL West.
Hinch managed Arizona from May 2009 until July 2010, when he was fired after 31-48 start. He was the vice president of professional scouting for San Diego from 2010 until August.
The 40-year-old is a former catcher who spent seven seasons in the majors with the Athletics, Royals, Tigers and Phillies.
Hinch takes over a team that made a 19-game improvement over last year to end a streak of three straight 100-loss seasons and one that features AL batting champion Jose Altuve.
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