Los Angeles Dodgers assistant trainer Greg Harrel talks maintenance programs, warm-ups

That's what The Oklahoman is doing in an occasional series, which continues with Greg Harrel of Cashion. The 49-year-old is about to begin his second season as an assistant athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Harrel served as the Dodgers' Triple-A athletic trainer with Las Vegas (2007-08) and Albuquerque (2009-11) and was appointed as the organization's head minor league athletic trainer in 2008. But last season and again in 2013, his role is at the major league level.

Before the Dodgers, he worked for the Texas Rangers (1986-2003), Marlins (2004, also in Albuquerque) and Padres (2006) organizations. This included a season on Texas' major league staff in 2003.

Harrel was twice selected to the Triple-A All-Star game.

When you speak of maintenance programs for baseball players, give us an idea of what that involves?

The thing we notice a lot with baseball compared to other sports is the amount of games played. A lot of the kids are playing a lot, school ball, summer ball. We've found that maintenance programs are very important, shoulder, elbow, forearm, that type of work and core work.

Then as players get older they develop a history and they're going to know what's most important to them. When they're younger, they can probably have a generic program but as they get older their programs are really more specific to what they need based on their body, their history. Our players all have their own program that's drawn up by the athletic training staff and the strength and conditioning staff.