Toronto center Jakob Poeltl moved from out to day-to-day with a left shoulder issue on the Tuesday injury report. The Raptors visit Denver on Wednesday night, and his availability is not yet settled.
What happened
Poeltl is listed day-to-day with a left shoulder and arm issue, according to the injury report posted Tuesday at 1:23 AM ET. He had been listed as out. The report's comment says Poeltl has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Clippers, as Zulfi Sheikh reports. The status has moved back and forth. He was listed out on Sunday, Nov. 1, then day-to-day on Monday, then out again that same day, and now day-to-day. The report lists an expected return date of Nov. 4. No timeline beyond that has been announced.
What it means for the Raptors
Toronto plays at Denver on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 9:00 PM ET. The Raptors are 4-3, fifth in the standings, and have won one straight. Poeltl, a 31-year-old center, is averaging 4.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 20.2 minutes over five games. Toronto is 3-2 with him and 1-1 without him. In the games he missed, Scottie Barnes averaged 33.4 minutes and RJ Barrett 32.4. Immanuel Quickley played 31.7, Collin Murray-Boyles 20.3 and Jamison Battle 16.1. Kawhi Leonard and Nate Bittle are both listed out, so the frontcourt is thin.
What to watch
The next update to the injury report will settle whether Poeltl is available in Denver. The listed expected return date is Nov. 4, the day of the Nuggets game, but his status is day-to-day and not a confirmed return. Watch for any change before tip-off at 9:00 PM ET. Also watch whether Leonard and Bittle stay out, since that decides how many bigs Toronto has available.
Is Jakob Poeltl playing at the Nuggets?
Not decided. He is day-to-day with a left shoulder and arm issue. The report lists an expected return of Nov. 4, the date of the game at Denver, but his status has changed several times in recent days.
When will Jakob Poeltl be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Nov. 4. No longer timeline has been announced, and he remains day-to-day.