After an injury-filled year, Nationals announce changes to medical structure

Following a season that was wrecked by numerous injuries, the Nationals have overhauled their training staff and developed a new approach to their medical system.

"In an innovative shift, the Nationals are transitioning their medical department to one that utilizes a proactive model, with significant analytic input," the Nationals said in a team-issued release. "This will allow the Nationals to hone in on predictive factors to thwart potential injurious situations, and increase performance, by maintaining the health and wellness of their players."

Harvey Sharman, the director of sports medicine/science for the Leeds United Football Club, will oversee the Nationals' training staff and strength and conditioning programming as executive director/medical services. Injuries reduced more than 50 percent during Sharman's time with Leeds, including a significant drop in soft-tissue injuries (muscular/ligament/tendon injuries), according to a team release.

Sharman, a physiotherapist, will also work with a Nationals Medical Advisory Board, chaired by Dr. Keith Pyne and accompanied by Dr. Robin West and team assistant general manager Bob Miller.

Pyne has been consulting with the Nationals since 2012 and has consulted and treated more than 1,300 professional sports athletes.

West, an orthopedics and sports medicine surgeon, is the medical director of the Sports Medicine Institute at Inova in Arlington, Va. She takes over as new Nationals team doctor after previously serving as assistant team doctor for the Pittsburgh Steelers and head team physician for the Carnegie Mellon University athletic department and the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team.

Paul Lessard is the new director of athletic training for the Nationals with 18 years of experience in the majors as a head athletic trainer. Lessard most recently spent the past six seasons leading the Reds training staff, where he worked under new Nationals manager Dusty Baker from 2010-2013.

Lessard worked with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo with the Diamondbacks during his time as head athletic trainer from 1998-2005, which included a World Series title in 2001. And Lessard was the head trainer for the Red Sox during their 2007 World Series championship season, spending four years in Boston before moving on to Cincinnati.

Dale Gilbert also joins the Nationals staff as an athletic trainer. Gilbert has worked as trainer and medical coordinator in the majors since 1997. He was with the Texas Rangers for the past five seasons.

With the new additions, the Nationals' medical department expands from 43 full- and part-time personnel to at least 48.