KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Hall of Famer George Brett has been appointed the Kansas City Royals' interim hitting coach as part of a shakeup aimed at pulling the struggling team out of its skid.

The team announced the move before Thursday night's game in St. Louis.

Brett has helped the Royals in spring training for years, but has turned down full-time job offers - including opportunities to manage - because he didn't want to deal with the daily grind.

The Royals, mired in an eight-game losing streak, haven't scored more than three runs in their last six games. They're near the bottom of the league in runs, walks, homers, RBIs and just about every other hitting metric.

Brett replaces Jack Maloof and Andre David, who have been reassigned to the minor league organization.