Dodgers hire Brant Brown & Luis Ortiz as hitting coaches

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers added a pair to their major league coaching staff, hiring Brant Brown and Luis Ortiz with both serving dual roles as assistant hitting coaches and minor league hitting coordinator.

The former fills the position left vacant by Tim Hyers, who left to join Alex Cora’s staff with the Red Sox. The dual role is similar to what Shawn Wooten did, serving as hitting coach for Triple-A Oklahoma City but also joining the Dodgers at times to work with the major league staff.

Wooten was let go in November, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

Brown was on the Mariners’ major league staff with the football-sounding title of offensive coordinator in 2017, and for four years before that was the organization’s minor league outfield coordinator. He also spent six seasons as a minor league hitting coach for the Rangers.

Ortiz was with Brown in the Rangers organization for five years (2008-12) as either a roving minor league hitting instructor or hitting coordinator. He also spent two seasons (2013-14) as assistant field coordinator and cultural development coordinator in the Indians system, and for the last three seasons was the Padres’ minor league field and hitting coordinator.

Both spent time as a major league player. Brown was an outfielder who hit .247/.301/.445 from 1996-2000 with the Cubs. Pirates and Marlins. Ortiz played parts of four seasons (1993-96) with the Red Sox and Rangers, hitting .228/.256/.359 in 60 career games.