After injuring his left shoulder in the Hawks' win in Denver on Nov. 12, later classified as a "left rotator cuff strain with an associated shoulder capsule strain," Kevin Huerter has been cleared for modified on-court work and return-to-play rehab, the Hawks announced Tuesday.
In the open portion of Hawks practice Tuesday, Huerter was seen shooting 3-pointers.
There’s no set date for his return yet, but his status will be updated as appropriate, the team announced.
Huerter has been ruled out for the Hawks’ coming road trip (they play in Milwaukee on Wednesday, in Indianapolis on Friday and in Houston on Saturday). He’s at the phase where he’s focusing on range of motion and strengthening his shoulder, per Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, and he can start to incorporate more basketball activity.
That activity will increase as Huerter progresses.
“Basically, the last step is to get back on the court,” Pierce said. “And the range of motion is still improving, it’s not like his range of motion is completely back. So it’s the strengthening. It’s the range-of-motion concern now, just continuing to do the rehab stuff but also incorporate basketball so he’s using it, strengthening by using it. There’s hope. It’ll definitely be sooner than later, in terms of his return, it’s just a matter of that full range of motion and that strength and his tolerance of it against contact.”
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