How long is Jimmy Butler out? Calf injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Heat star

Gilbert McGregor

How long is Jimmy Butler out? Calf injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Heat star image

The Heat have put together a solid encore as a follow-up to their run to the 2023 NBA Finals. It's even more impressive considering they've rarely been at full strength this season.

The latest player impacted by the injury bug in Miami is Jimmy Butler, who has been sidelined since sustaining a calf injury on Dec. 18.

This season, Butler is averaging 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and a team-high 4.6 assists per game. Here is what we know about Butler's injury and what it means for Miami moving forward.

MORE: Revisiting Jimmy Butler's choice to join the Heat in 2019

What is Jimmy Butler's injury?

Butler's injury is listed as a strained left calf.

Butler last played on Monday, Dec. 18, seeing 34 minutes of action in a close loss to the Timberwolves. The next day, Butler was unable to participate in practice and was ruled out of Miami's visit to Orlando on Dec. 20, the first a string of absences.

WATCH: Follow Jimmy Butler and the Heat all season long on Sling TV

How long is Jimmy Butler out?

On Christmas, it was reported that Butler is close to returning to the lineupI

After playing at home on Christmas Day, Miami has traveled west for a five-game trip with stops in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Here are Miami's next five games:

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV channel
Dec. 28 at Warriors 10 p.m. NBA TV
Dec. 30 at Jazz 5 p.m.
Jan. 1 at Clippers 10:30 p.m.
Jan. 3 at Lakers 10 p.m. ESPN
Jan. 5 at Suns 9 p.m.

Jimmy Butler stats

  • 21.5 points per game
  • 5.2 rebounds per game
  • 4.6 assists per game
  • 1.1 steals per game
  • 0.4 blocks per game
  • 1.8 turnovers per game
  • 46.2 percent field goal shooting
  • 37.7 percent 3-point shooting
  • 87.9 percent free throw shooting

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.