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Browsing: strained
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday that All-Star point guard Ja Morant will be sidelined for the next two weeks with a Grade 1 calf strain.
Morant suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday night’s road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had scored seven points in six minutes before being subbed out of the game at the 6:01 mark with Memphis up 18-14 and not re-entering. The team will re-evaluate him in two weeks to determine how quickly he can return to the court.
The injury is another roadblock in what has been a tough start to the season for Morant and the Grizzlies.
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Memphis is sitting at 4-10 on the season and has been without forward Brandon Clarke, guard Ty Jerome, guard Scotty Pippen Jr., and center Zach Edey for the entirety of the season up until this weekend. Edey returned for the first time this season in that same Cavaliers game in which Morant got hurt. Morant himself also missed one game with an ankle injury and was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the teamafter a loss to the Lakers on Halloween.
On one hand, this injury is another misstep in a season that is seeing the two-time All-Star post career lows in field goal percentage (35.9%), three-point shooting percentage (16.7%), effective field goal rate (38.5%), three-pointers made per game (0.8), and rebounds (3.0). He’s also posting the lowest scoring mark since his rookie season at just 17.9 points per game.
However, on the other hand, this continues a concerning injury track record for the 26-year-old. He has never played 70 games or more in any of his six NBA seasons coming into this year. Last year, he was limited to 50 games, and the year before that, he played in just nine, in part due to a suspension for gun-related gestures and off-field behavior.
Despite Memphis insisting that they have no interest in trading Morant, the suspension and mounting injuries may force it to behave otherwise. Of course, a mounting injury toll for a player in the third year of a five-year, $197.2 million contract also could dampen any value on the trade market.
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For now, the Grizzlies will move forward without Morant for the next two weeks. That should mean additional playing time for Vince Williams Jr., who started for Morant when he was forced to sit last week against the Celtics with an ankle injury. Williams had 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists in that game, and the 25-year-old is averaging 8.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 39.7% from the field in 19.3 minutes per game this season. We should also see a minutes increase for Cam Spencer off the bench and perhaps more of a scoring burden placed on starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and starting small forward Cedric Coward, who has been a lone bright spot for the Grizzlies in his rookie season.
We’ll get out first look at how the Grizzlies approach these next two weeks without Morant when they face off against the Spurs on Tuesday at 8 pm ET on NBC and Peacock.
Michael C. WrightNov 17, 2025, 01:52 PM ET
- Joined ESPN in 2010
- Previously covered Bears for ESPN.com
- Played college football at West Texas A&M
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday that star guard Ja Morant suffered a Grade 1 right calf strain in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss at Cleveland and will miss at least two weeks.
Morant left the contest with 6:01 remaining in the opening quarter after scoring 7 points in six minutes on 2-of-2 shooting. The guard sat out the previous game Wednesday against the Boston Celtics due to a sore right ankle.
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Morant’s latest setback comes with Memphis mired in a four-game losing streak, having dropped eight of its past nine contests ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
A two-time NBA All-Star, Morant, 26, is currently averaging career lows in minutes (28.8) field goal percentage (35.9%), 3-point field goal percentage (16.7%) and rebounds (3.5), while averaging a career-high 3.8 turnovers per game.
The Grizzlies suspended Morant for conduct detrimental to the team following an Oct. 31 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, after he engaged in a postgame exchange with coach Tuomas Iisalo. Morant returned to the lineup on Nov. 3 against Detroit.
In the third year of a five-year, $197.2 million contract signed in 2022, Morant has played in just 59 games over the past two seasons due to injuries and a pair of suspensions stemming from incidents involving guns.
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Jorge CastilloSep 27, 2025, 03:29 PM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
MIAMI — The New York Mets placed Brett Baty on the injured list with a strained right oblique on Saturday ahead of their crucial game against the Miami Marlins, ending the infielder’s regular season and potentially keeping him out for the postseason should the club qualify.
Baty suffered the injury on a swing during the first inning of the Mets’ loss on Friday night. He took the field for the bottom of the inning but was later pulled.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Baty, who tested the oblique pregame and couldn’t swing without pain surfacing, will have an MRI by the end of the weekend. The results will determine the extent of Baty’s injury and whether a return in October is possible.
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Baty, 25, emerged from the Mets’ group of young infielders to become an every-day player over the course of the summer. Splitting time between third base and second base, Baty batted .254 with 18 home runs and a .748 OPS in 130 games after a slow start at the plate.
“We’re looking at a guy that pretty much established himself in the everyday lineup — whether it was at third base, second base,” Baty said. “And then what he was able to provide for us offensively, defensively. It’s a big blow. But we got other guys that are going to get opportunities and they’re going to have to step up.”
The Mets recalled first baseman/outfielder Jared Young to replace Baty on the active roster. Ronny Mauricio was given the start at third base against Miami. A former heralded prospect, Mauricio’s playing time shrunk down the stretch as the Mets unexpectedly found themselves in a fight for a playoff spot after having the best record in the majors as late as June 12. Saturday will be Mauricio’s first start since Aug. 24.
“Not easy, not easy,” Mendoza said. “But you gotta give him credit. He’s stayed ready and now here we are, asking him to go out there and help win baseball games here at the end.”
The Mets entered Saturday needing to break a tie with the Cincinnati Reds over the next two days to clinch the National League’s third wild card spot. New York and Cincinnati began Saturday with identical 82-78 records, but the Reds hold the tiebreaker having won the season series between the clubs.