After a disappointing and injury-riddled season in which the failed to reach the playoffs, changes won’t be limited simply to the manager’s office, coaching staff and roster. The Nationals also dismissed head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz, assistant trainer Steve Gober and strength and conditioning coach John Philbin on Friday, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.
Kuntz was the team’s head athletic trainer since 2007; he previously had worked with the Indians and Royals organizations. Gober, a minor league trainer and rehab coordinator with the Nationals/Expos since 2002, joined the major league training staff as assistant athletic trainer in 2013. Philbin, a former Olympic bobsledder and Washington Redskins strength coach, was hired by the Nationals in 2009.
The Nationals had been eyeing changes to their medical operation since late in the season. The team’s training staff works in conjunction with the medical staff led by medical director/head team physician Wiemi Douoguih.
The Nationals suffered many injuries, from Denard Span to Doug Fister to Stephen Strasburg to Anthony Rendon to Jayson Werth to Ryan Zimmerman to Craig Stammen, that undermined their season of high expectations. Some of the injuries were the result of rushing back from previous injuries (Span and Strasburg), some from wear and tear (Rendon, Zimmerman and Stammen) and some simply the result of unpredictable on-field impact (Werth).
The Nationals, who want to improve their injury record, lost 1,030 combined games due to injury in 2015, according to ManGamesLost.com, the seventh most in the majors. In fact, the Nationals have suffered several season-impacting injuries over the past several seasons. Since 2010, the Nationals have lost 3,813 games due to injury, 12th most in the majors.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2015/10/17/nationals-dismiss-athletic-training-staff/