Diamondbacks' Manager Explains New Third Base Coach Decision

The Arizona Diamondbacks have named a new third-base coach.

Aug 19, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo prior to the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks named Tim Bogar as their new third base coach for the remainder of the season, following the removal of Shaun Larkin from that role.

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Bogar had been serving as a player development advisor in the D-backs' front office. He was the third base coach of the Boston Red Sox in 2010 and 2011, and the bench coach of the Washington Nationals from 2018-2023.

Ahead of Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, manager Torey Lovullo met with reporters to talk about the decision.

"After that conversation with [Larkin], I started to have some conversations internally with the group, and Tim Bogar's name kept coming up. He's in our system, he managed [Double-A Amarillo] last year. He's a special advisor to player development and Chris Slivka," Lovullo said.

Though it's been 14 years since Bogar has filled the third base coach role, Lovullo said he had "minimal concern" about that fact.

"He was a middle infielder. I feel like middle infielders and catchers make the best third-base coaches, because once you have that clock on, it's always on for the rest of your life.

"You know how fast balls can get reversed and thrown around the diamond. And Bogar, he was a really good defensive middle infielder for a long time. He's done it and coached third base at this level, and I think he's got the right heartbeat.

"When I asked him, he said, 'Absolutely, I'd be more than willing to help out this organization in a different way than I already am, and I'll make it happen,'" Lovullo said.

Lovullo said Bogar is already familiar with some of Arizona's players and their skillsets from his time with the Sod Poodles, and from spending some time in the dugout during Spring Training.

"He's around a lot, so he knows the athleticism of all of our guys and may have directly managed a couple of them.

"He's been asking for information on the speed of guys, the objective speed, their lead size, their secondary lead size. He just wanted to get arm strengths. All those normal things that a third-base coach will want to get to before he steps into the box," Lovullo said.

Larkin won't be removed entirely from the team, as he'll continue to coach the infield, but he'll no longer be in uniform from the dugout. The manager continued to praise Larkin's handling of the situation.

"[Larkin] was a perfect example of what I wanted everybody to be, myself included. When something doesn't go right, you own it, you understand why it took place, and then we move on," Lovullo said.