Help is on the way for the Lakers.
All-Star big man Anthony Davis has been sidelined since Dec. 18 with a sprained MCL in his left knee and there are signs pointing to his return on Tuesday, Jan. 24 against the Brooklyn Nets.
Here's everything we know about the injury.
What is Anthony Davis' injury?
According to the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is located on the inner side of the knee and prevents the knee from collapsing inward. A sprain of the MCL can range from a mild injury to a complete tear.
The 6-foot-10 forward has been out with a sprained MCL in his left knee since the Lakers matchup against the Timberwolves on Dec. 18 when he suffered the injury during the third quarter and never returned.
Anthony Davis struggled to get to the locker room after an apparent knee injury in the third quarter. pic.twitter.com/MOBSzzrYYJ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 18, 2021
How long will Anthony Davis be out?
Davis has been sidelined for about five weeks, which was his original timeline after undergoing an MRI on his knee.
Right on schedule, ESPN's McMenamin reported on Friday, Jan. 14 that "there is optimism within the Lakers organization that Davis could return to game action during LA's upcoming GRAMMY road trip." Lakers coach Frank Vogel said on Monday Davis was cleared for "on-court ramp-up with contact," but did not offer a specific timeline.
For those who are unaware, the GRAMMY road trip occurs for the Lakers every year when Crypto.com Arena hosts the GRAMMY's. The Lakers took off on this road trip on Jan. 21 to travel to Orlando and will hit stops in Miami (Jan. 23), Brooklyn (Jan. 25), Philadelphia (Jan. 27) and Charlotte (Jan. 28) before concluding in Atlanta (Jan. 30).
According to the team, Davis has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday's matchup against the Nets, looking set to make his return.
Anthony Davis has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday’s game in BKN, per the Lakers.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 24, 2022
Davis has missed the Lakers' last 16 games and the team went 7-9 over that stretch. This season, Davis is averaging 23.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.2 steals over 27 games.
Lakers upcoming schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Jan. 25 | at Nets | 7:30 PM | TNT |
| Jan. 27 | at 76ers | 7:30 PM | TNT |
| Jan. 28 | at Hornets | 7:00 PM | – |
| Jan. 30 | at Hawks | 1:00 PM | – |
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