Rays promote Ozzie Timmons to previous role of Assistant Hitting Coach for 2026

The Tampa Bay Rays have hired Ozzie Timmons as assistant hitting coach, the club announced today.

Timmons, 55, spent the 2025 season in the Rays organization as special assistant, coaching development, after three years as the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach (2022-24). He returns to Kevin Cash’s staff after beginning his major league coaching career as the Rays first base coach from 2018-21. During that time, he was also the club’s assistant hitting coach and provided baserunning instruction.

A Tampa native, University of Tampa product and Brandon High School graduate, Timmons began his coaching career in the Rays minor league system. Prior to joining the major league staff, he served as hitting coach for Triple-A Durham (2016-17) and had coaching stints with Double-A Montgomery (2009-15), Class-A Columbus (2008) and Short-A Hudson Valley (2007). Timmons is one of four major league coaches in Rays history who was born in the Tampa Bay area, joining Cash (Tampa), former manager Lou Piniella (Tampa) and former pitching coach Chuck Hernandez (Tampa).

Timmons played 16 seasons professionally as an outfielder, highlighted by parts of five seasons in the majors with the Cubs (1995-96), Reds (1997), Mariners (1999) and Devil Rays (2000). His playing career also included stints in the Japanese Central League (2001), Mexican League (2003, 2005) and independent Atlantic League (2003-06). He hit 301 home runs in his professional career, including his final long ball as a major leaguer on Sept. 28, 2000 at Tropicana Field off New York-AL’s Roger Clemens.