Mike Muscala

Hawks' Tiago Splitter to miss at least 6 weeks with calf strain

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:37 p.m. ET

Zach Dillard

Atlanta Hawks big man Tiago Splitter encountered another setback while rehabbing from his offseason hip surgery and subsequent hamstring strain, suffering a Grade 2 right calf strain, the team announced on Friday night.

He will miss a minimum of six weeks before being reevaluated.

Injury setbacks have become an all-too-common narrative over the course of Splitter’s career. He played just 36 games during the 2015-16 season, his first with the Hawks, averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds as the third big man behind Al Horford and Paul Millsap.

He has not played this season and will now be out until at least early January.

Splitter, 31, has played just one full season since entering the league with San Antonio in 2010.

His absence places the spotlight on young big man Mike Muscala, who is enjoying the makings of a career season in Year 4, to continue to provide solid minutes behind Millsap and Dwight Howard. With Mike Scott also rehabbing his own injury, that leaves Kris Humphries, Ryan Kelly and, when coach Mike Budenholzer looks to go small, rookie Taurean Prince as the only other frontcourt options on the roster.

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