Braves make changes in medical and conditioning staffs

Dr. Gary Lourie is the Braves’ new head team physician (photo courtesy Emory Healthcare)

Dr. Gary Lourie is the Braves’ new head team physician (photo courtesy Emory Healthcare)

The Braves have a new head team physician and a new strength coach after a reorganization of the team’s medical and conditioning staffs was announced Wednesday.

Dr. Gary M. Lourie was named head team physician after serving since 2000 as a Braves associate physician and the team’s hand specialist. Lourie also serves as hand-surgeon consultant for Georgia Tech athletics and head orthopedic physician for the school’s baseball team.

Bradford Scott was promoted to Braves head sports performance coach, replacing former strength coach Phil Falco. Jordan Wolf was hired as a performance therapist, filling the role that Scott held last season.

Wolf served as Padres minor league strength and conditioning coordinator since 2013 after five years in a similar position with the Diamondbacks.

The medical staff includes returning physicians Marvin Royster, Tim Griffith, Jeff Hoadley and Brooks Lide and newcomers John Xerogeanes, Spero Karas, Kyle Hammond, Ken Mautner, Lee Kneer, Jeff Webb and Jonathan Kim.

The Braves’ training staff returns intact with head athletic trainer Jeff Porter, assistant athletic trainer Jim Lovell and Andrew Houser overseeing the overall training program.