Charlotte Hornets give injury update on PJ Washington
.JPG "Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington reacts after making a free throw to give the Hornets the lead against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)")
Don’t expect PJ Washington back in the lineup for at least a week. And it could be longer.
The Charlotte Hornets forward will be out for the next seven days nursing his hyperextended left elbow and will be reevaluated again then, the team announced Monday. Washington visited with a Southern California specialist and received the diagnosis, giving the Hornets a clearer picture of what the third-year forward was facing after getting injured against Golden State last Wednesday.
He will continue to participate in individual skill work in the meantime, keeping himself in shape as much as possible until he’s cleared to ramp up activity with his left arm. Washington has been out on the Staples Center court before the Hornets’ last two games, doing some individual work with assistant coach Jay Hernandez. Unlike Sunday, he wasn’t wearing a sling on the bench during Monday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Washington missed his third straight game Monday and is going to sit out the next three games at minimum. In his absence, second-year big man Nick Richards has stepped into the rotation and is eating up some of the available minutes at backup center.
