Santi Aldama has been downgraded from day-to-day to out with a knee injury on Tuesday's injury report. The Mavericks will open their schedule Wednesday night at Houston without him.
What happened
The Mavericks listed Santi Aldama as out on Tuesday's injury report, issued at 6:16 PM ET, with a knee and leg injury. He had been day-to-day before the change. The report says Aldama (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Rockets. The knee has been on the report since early September, when he was first listed day-to-day with a right knee issue, and he returned to the report with it again on Oct. 9. The report lists an expected return of Oct. 23, with no further detail on what that date means for his availability.
What it means for the Mavericks
Dallas plays at Houston on Wednesday at 8:30 PM ET, the first regular-season game for a team that is 0-0. Aldama, a 25-year-old forward-center, averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes across 43 games last season. Without him, the frontcourt minutes fall to Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Daniel Gafford, with Cooper Flagg carrying the heaviest load at 33.5 minutes in games Aldama has missed. Dereck Lively II is also out with a right foot injury, which thins the group further. There is no record with and without Aldama yet, since the season has not started.
What to watch
The next injury report ahead of the Rockets game will confirm whether anything changes before tip. The report lists an expected return of Oct. 23, but no return game has been announced. Caleb Martin, Tarik Biberovic and Lively remain out as well, so the Mavericks' depth chart for the opener will be tested. Any update on Aldama's knee after Wednesday will come through the team's next report.
Is Santi Aldama playing at the Rockets on Wednesday?
No. The Mavericks ruled Aldama out for Wednesday's game at Houston with a knee injury on Tuesday's injury report.
When will Santi Aldama be back?
The injury report lists an expected return of Oct. 23, but no specific return game has been announced. Watch the team's next injury report for an update.