Rudy Gay Out Two Weeks With Finger Injury, Jazz Announce
Nov 17, 2022, 1:29 PM | Updated: 2:17 pm
Rudy Gay #8 of the Utah Jazz looks on during a game against the Toronto Raptors in the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena on November 18, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Rudy Gay will miss at least the next two weeks with a finger injury the Utah Jazz announced on Thursday.
The veteran forward missed Tuesday’s loss to the New York Knicks with what was described as a hand sprain, but the team elaborated on the injury after conducting an MRI.
“Gay was examined Wednesday by the Utah Jazz medical staff and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing,” the team announced in a release. “The MRI revealed a third finger MCP joint sprain in his left hand. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.”
The @utahjazz have announced that Rudy Gay underwent an MRI today on his hand sprain and will be out at least the next two weeks. #takenote | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/AgOhbAwJrs
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 17, 2022
The forward has been a regular off the Jazz bench this season averaging 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per contest.
Despite Gay’s modest numbers, he leads the Jazz in plus-minus this season. The Jazz have been 5.7 points per game better than their opponents with Gay on the floor.
Rookie forward Simone Fontecchio filled in for Gay in Tuesday’s loss and scored nine points on 3-6 shooting, including 3-5 from the three-point line.
Gay’s Time With The Jazz
Rudy Gay’s career with the Jazz has fallen short of expectations after signing a three-year, $18.5 million contract in the summer of 2021.
Gay was slow to return from bone spur surgery last season but scored an impressive 20 points on 7-8 shooting in his Jazz debut against the Raptors.
However, the second-unit big man would eclipse the 20-point mark only once over the final 68 games of the season. By the end of year one, Gay was out of coach Quin Snyder’s rotation entirely in favor of Juancho Hernangomez who was acquired along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker at the trade deadline in exchange for Joe Ingles.
RELATED STORIES
Gay numbers have taken a significant dip this season with the Jazz averaging a career-low 4.5 points per game while shooting just 36 percent from the floor and 26 percent from the free-throw line.
The forward scored 18 points in the team’s season-opening win against the Denver Nuggets but hasn’t scored more than eight points in any of his 11 appearances since.
Gay has a $6.4 million player option to remain with the Jazz next season.
