T.J. McConnell moved from out to day-to-day on the injury report late Wednesday with a right hamstring strain. His expected return is Oct. 23, the day the Pacers host the Mavericks.
What happened
The Pacers guard was upgraded to day-to-day at 11:58 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 21. He had been listed as out since Tuesday, Oct. 20, when he went from day-to-day to out with the right hamstring injury. The injury report lists the issue as a right hamstring strain and says McConnell would not play Wednesday in New Orleans. His expected return is Oct. 23. Earlier, on Sunday, Oct. 4, he was listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed issue.
What it means for the Pacers
Indiana hosts the Mavericks on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Pacers are 1-0, and McConnell has not played in a win yet. Last season he appeared in 56 games and averaged 9.4 points, 5.1 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 17.2 minutes, mostly as a backup ball handler. Without him, Andrew Nembhard played 9.5 minutes and scored 8 points. Tyrese Haliburton had 7 points in 8.0 minutes. Pascal Siakam played 9.1 minutes, and Ben Sheppard added 5.7 minutes off the bench. The guard group is thin. Aaron Nesmith is day-to-day with a left hamstring injury, and Johnny Furphy is out with a right knee injury.
What to watch
The next injury report before Friday's game against Dallas will show whether McConnell is cleared. His expected return date matches that game, but no final decision has been announced. Watch Nesmith's status on the same report. If both guards are available, the Pacers get back their usual backcourt depth. If not, Nembhard and Sheppard will likely keep carrying the extra minutes behind Haliburton.
Is T.J. McConnell playing vs Mavericks on Friday?
He is day-to-day with a right hamstring strain, and his expected return is Oct. 23, the day of the game. A final decision has not been announced.
When will T.J. McConnell be back?
The injury report lists Oct. 23 as his expected return, which is Friday's home game against the Mavericks. Whether he plays depends on the next report.