The Washington Nationals have named bench coach Miguel Cairo as their interim manager, the team announced Monday.
Cairo, a native of Venezuela who played for nine teams over 17 MLB seasons from 1996 to 2012, replaces Dave Martinez, who was fired along with general manager Mike Rizzo on Sunday.
Cairo, 51, joined the Nationals in 2024 after spending the previous season as the minor league infield coordinator for the New York Mets. He also served as bench coach for the Chicago White Sox during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, being named active manager after Tony La Russa stepped aside in 2022 because of an undisclosed medical condition. The White Sox went 18-16 down the stretch under Cairo but failed to reach the playoffs.
"Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball," Nationals interim general manager Mike DeBartolo said in a statement. "A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations, and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season."
Cairo played all positions except catcher, center fielder and pitcher during his playing career. He was a career .264 hitter with 41 home runs and 394 RBIs in 1,490 games.
DeBartolo, the club's senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night and will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft.
The Nationals are 37-53, last in the National League East standings after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn't finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the 2019 World Series.
Washington has a 325-473 record since the start of the 2020 season, only better than the Colorado Rockies.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.