Tiago Splitter suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain and will be out a minimum of four weeks.
The Hawks reserve center missed the first three exhibition games this preseason due to the hamstring, which was injured in a practice. The team announced the severity of the injury Tuesday evening following an MRI exam at Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center on Monday.
Splitter is returning from hip surgery that limited him to 36 regular-season games in his first year with the Hawks. A four-week timetable would mean an earliest return of the second week of November with at least seven games missed.
On Monday morning, before the Hawks’ exhibition game against the Cavaliers, coach Mike Budenholzer said he was not overly concerned with the severity of the injury.
“I wouldn’t say concern,” Budenholzer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There are going to be different phases … strengthening and condition the lower body. We feel the hip is in a good place but it’s all connected at the end of the day. We’ll hope that all this goes well.”
The MRI exam told a different story.
Splitter, 31, averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.1 minutes last season. He underwent season-ending surgery on Feb. 25. Splitter is in the final year of his contract with the Hawks.
