Franz Wagner has recently returned to action after missing time with a left high ankle sprain, but lingering effects from that injury forced him back out of the lineup.
Prior to Orlando’s home loss against the Charlotte Hornets, Wagner was ruled out due to soreness in the same left ankle, raising concern about how well it has responded since his return.
Jamahl Mosley acknowledged that Wagner is still dealing with considerable discomfort related to the earlier injury and said the decision to hold him out was made with caution in mind.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard as heck to deal with. But he came up really, really, really sore after shootaround,” Mosley said about Wagner.
“And we’ve got to obviously look at the long-term view for how we’re deal with our guys and he’s one of those guys that we have to continue to look at in that situation.”
Mosley clarified that the soreness stems directly from the prior high ankle sprain rather than a new issue, and emphasized that the organization is focused on avoiding any long-term setbacks.
“I hope it’s not long term,” he said. “We want to monitor it to make sure it’s the right time for the long term for our entire group and this organization, as well as Franz.”
Franz Wagner Still Dealing With Significant Soreness From Left Ankle Injury https://t.co/OIYu0yhBaY
— RealGM (@RealGM) January 23, 2026
