The Los Angeles Lakers just can’t get rid of the injury bug. According to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, Lakers’ forward Rui Hachimura underwent surgery to repair nasal fracture and will be out indefinitely.
Hachimura suffered the injury during a 101-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The 25-year-old player is expected to be re-evaluated in one week, after which the Lakers will provide an update on his return to action.
This represents a tough blow for the Lakers, considering that Hachimura was one of the team’s most important bench players this season. The 2019 ninth-overall pick has been averaging 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists so far in 2023-24. Hachimura missed four games earlier this season due to a concussion.
Hachimura’s injury is just one of the latest blows for a Lakers team that is trying to navigate an underwhelming start to the campaign. The LA team has a long injury list at the moment that includes guard Gabe Vincent, who won’t return for at least two more weeks due to a knee issue. Wing Jarred Vanderbilt is dealing with a heel injury and is still several days from returning to action, while Cam Reddish is listed day-to-day with a groin injury.
