The Portland Trail Blazers’ announced Sunday that an MRI taken of Damian Lillard ’s calf Saturday night following the team’s loss to Utah revealed a grade one strain to the soleus muscle in the right lower leg.
Lillard will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks.
According to WedMD.com, the soleus is a smaller, flat muscle that lies underneath the calf muscle.
Lillard said Saturday night that he expected to miss time but hoped it would be less than the four games he missed following suffering a right calf strain Oct. 26 during a home loss to Miami. The next day, the Blazers announced that Lillard would be reevaluated in one to two weeks. He returned to the court 12 days later on Nov. 7 at Miami.
Should Lillard miss another 12 days, he would return Dec. 3 at Utah after having missed six game including a four-game trip that begins Monday in Milwaukee.
Lillard injured his calf in the third quarter against the Heat as well as against the Jazz.
In Lillard’s absence this season, Rookie Shaedon Sharpe has started at shooting guard with Anfernee Simons replacing Lillard at point guard.
The Blazers (10-6) are 7-2 this season when Lillard starts and finishes a game. They are 0-2 in the two games in which he left with a calf injury and are 3-2 in games he has missed.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
