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Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Matt Wilson assessed players as a Dodgers trainer in the minors and bigs, later in college


Assistant Dodgers trainer Matt Wilson assessed his pitcher to reporters in May 2004.

Hideo Nomo's fingernail had split and the question was whether Nomo would be able to make his next start.

"I really doubt that," Wilson told reporters, according to The Fresno Bee. "It's a matter of when he's able to pick up a ball and it's not so tender. Right now, it's so tender that he can't pick up a ball."

Wilson's training experience by that point had stretched more than a decade and a half. He first worked in the minors and then, in the majors as an assistant trainer with the Dodgers. 

Wilson's career as a trainer began with the Dodgers in 1988, having graduated from Montana State University.

Wilson started with the Dodgers at rookie Great Falls for 1988 and 1989. He then moved to high-A Vero Beach in 1990.

That August, he looked over Vero Beach runner Rex Peters, after Peters had been accidentally kicked by the second baseman and soon had to leave the game, The Indian River Press Journal wrote

"He's going to have a good shiner," Wilson told The Press Journal afterward.

He moved to high-A Bakersfield for 1991 and 1992. He also worked with the NBA's Orlando Magic as an assistant trainer in that time.

Wilson later moved to AA San Antonio and then AAA Albuquerque. In 2000, he made the majors with the Dodgers as an assistant trainer.

In August 2004, Wilson looked at outfielder Milton Bradley after he left a game with a sore hamstring, The Los Angeles Daily News wrote

"It's something that's been bothering him off and on for a while," Wilson told The Daily News. "It was bothering him during warmups, so we just didn't want to take any chances with it."

Wilson stayed with the Dodgers through 2006. He then moved to the Padres for three seasons as a minor league coordinator. In 2012, he moved to college, as a co-head athletic trainer at Pomona-Pritzer Athletics. He continues in that role in 2022.

1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:3,858
Made the Majors:1,293-33.5%-X
Never Made Majors:2,565-66.5%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:528
10+ Seasons in the Minors:323

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