What Is The Latest News On Gordon Hayward’s Injury?

On Dec. 16, the Charlotte Hornets announced that Gordon Hayward had suffered an avulsion fracture of his fifth metacarpal on his right hand. Right now, the Hornets are listing him as day-to-day but this type of injury could take weeks to heal, especially given that the injury is on his shooting hand.

An avulsion fracture is when there is an injury to a bone near where the bone attaches to a tendon or ligament. When the fracture happens, the tendon or ligament can sometimes pull away, and a small piece of bone can pull away with it. Surgery is an option for these kinds of injuries, but it does not seem like Hayward’s injury will require any type of surgical procedure. 

This type of injury can cause further damage, especially in the hand/finger if not treated correctly, which is why the Hornets will be cautious with Hayward for the next few weeks. Charlotte is set to open their season on December 23rd in Cleveland and it is unlikely at this point that Gordon Hayward is going to be 100% for this game, which may result in the Hornets keeping him sidelined in the early going of the season. 

If Hayward is to miss an extensive amount of time, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk and both Cody and Caleb Martin could be in line to see more minutes than originally anticipated at the start of the season. This is definitely a tough start to the Hornets 2020-21 season and Hayward’s injury could be something that lingers throughout the year, especially if they bring him back too soon.