It turns out Gordon Hayward’s lingering shoulder injury is actually a scapula fracture. The Hornets player first injured his shoulder back on November 2nd. Hayward exited the game against the Bulls and didn’t return in the second half. The team called the injury a bruise and Hayward remained on the sidelines for over two weeks.
When Hayward did return to action on November 18th against the Cavaliers, he did not appear to be playing at full capacity. He was obviously still experiencing pain in his shoulder and his mobility seemed hindered. He played in three games, the second of which he actually appeared to re-injury the shoulder. After a dismal performance in his third game back, the Hornets put Hayward back on the injury and out of the lineup.
It was only Friday that we found out that the injury Hayward actually sustained is a scapula fracture and not a bruise. Hayward’s agent informed ESPN of the details of the injury and indicated that Hayward’s status is “out indefinitely” and is expected to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
A grade 2 shoulder injury usually comes with a 6-7 week recovery time, but Hayward’s timeline could be longer depending on the exact nature of the fracture. Either way, he almost certainly won’t be back until after the New Year.
