Franz Wagner does not seem particularly close to making his return from the left ankle injury that has sidelined him for 20 of the Magic’s last 22 games, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
During Wednesday’s shootaround in Miami, the fifth-year forward was limited to light activity on a stationary bike and was expected to do only standstill shooting once the rest of the team finished practice.
Beede reports that Wagner did not suffer a new setback after briefly returning for two games earlier this month, and there is no indication he has recently had new imaging done on the ankle.
Instead, the ongoing discomfort is believed to be residual soreness from the original high ankle sprain he sustained on December 7.
The 24-year-old acknowledged this week that he likely rushed back too soon when he played in the two European matchups against the Grizzlies, including the NBA’s first regular-season game held in his native Germany in Berlin, his hometown.
“Definitely not where I want it to be to play, and to play consistently,” Wagner said Wednesday, per Beede. “It’s consistently (that) is the big thing. Obviously I really wanted to play in Berlin but probably wasn’t ready for that yet. So, yeah, tough situation just looking back but definitely still got a little bit to go.”
Wagner explained that the soreness flared up after the second contest in London, where he logged 26 minutes in a loss, and it continued in the days that followed.
He is set to miss a fifth consecutive game on Friday and remains uncertain about when he will be cleared to return.
“I’m learning that it’s one of those things that can linger a little bit,” Wagner said. “So, I just want to make sure that once I get back, I’m really back, and don’t have to sit out a game here and feel good again. I want to be good for the rest of the year.”
Injury Notes: F. Wagner, Okongwu, Giddey, Kawamura, T. Johnson https://t.co/yeVV62wn3f pic.twitter.com/kIGEyBdAh9
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