Houston Astros relieve Bo Porter of his managerial duties

The Astros have announced they have relieved Bo Porter of managerial duties. This comes the week after a report by Ken Rosenthal that there was a growing rift in the relationship between Porter and general manager Jeff Luhnow.

Bo Porter fired.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) September 1, 2014

Porter was hired on September 27, 2012, and served as manager since the start of the 2013 season - after serving as the Nationals third base coach the previous season.

Also fired was bench coach Dave Trembley, who joined the Astros before the 2013 season.

Tom Lawless will serve as the interim manager, Lawless served as interim manager with the Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks while Tony DeFrancesco was on medical leave. Former Astros shortstop Adam Everett will serve as bench coach. The search for a new manager will begin immediately.

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow's statement about the decision:

"What we will seek going forward is a consistent and united message throughout the entire organization. It is essential that as an organization we create an atmosphere at the Major League level where our young players can come up and continue to develop and succeed. Ultimately, I am responsible for creating that culture, and I will do everything in my power to do so-even when it means making difficult moves like the one we made today.

"Moving forward, I am optimistic about the direction of our team. Our young core continues to progress, and I believe wholeheartedly that our plan-while at times challenging-is working and will bring a consistent winner to Houston in the very near future.

"We wish Bo and his family well, and feel he will be successful in future endeavors."

Astros owner Jim Crane's statement about the decision:

"This was not an easy decision to make," Crane said. "We wish Bo nothing but the best in the future. Jeff has my full support moving forward. Our goal to bring a championship to Houston remains."