BOSTON — Celtics backup big man Daniel Theis has a slight tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot and will be out indefinitely, the team announced Monday.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens stressed that the “indefinitely” part probably sounds more daunting than it should but admitted that Theis is likely out for a bit due to the injury.
“The indefinite timeline sounds worse than the timeline we’ve been given,” said Stevens. "I think it’s not going to be season-derailing or anything like that. Hopefully, we’ll see how he progresses over the next few weeks. Then the next steps will be determined. But they think it will be pretty quick recovery, which is fortunate.”
Stevens said that Theis will not require surgery. Most instances of plantar fasciitis simply require rest and rehab to alleviate but can be a slow process.
Theis suffered a left foot sprain that left him questionable for Saturday’s game in Detroit, played through it to score a season-high 17 points in Boston’s victory, then got diagnosed with the right foot injury in the aftermath.
The Celtics will get a boost Tuesday with big man Aron Baynes slated to return from a hamstring strain (Baynes dubbed himself 100 percent after practice) and Boston could lean heavier on rookie Robert Williams in Theis’ absence.
"It’s unfortunate what happened to Daniel,” said Baynes. "He was starting to come along. But it’s one of those things, we dealt with a few circumstances like that last season. It’s next man up. I’m doing everything I can every single day to try to get right and be able to contribute to the team again. So as soon as they give me the clearance I’ll be ready.”
Boston Celtics
The Celtics’ official injury report listed Baynes as probable to return on Tuesday.
Theis, whose promising rookie season was cut short late last season by a torn meniscus after the German forward signed last offseason, has averaged six points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes in the first five games this season.
The 6-9 Theis averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes a game in 63 games last season. He didn't play after being injured on March 11.
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