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Caron Butler injury update: MRI reveals sprain, Butler likely out "a couple of games"

Butler injured his shoulder near the end of Milwaukee's 91-94 loss in Orlando on Wednesday night.

By Dan Sinclair
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Update: According to Racine Journal-Times reporter Gery Woelfel, Butler has a sprained shoulder and will likely miss "a couple of games". Woelfel characterized the injury as "mild", but it is still highly unlikely Butler will play in tomorrow's contest against the Pacers or Saturday when the Bucks take on the Thunder in Milwaukee. The Bucks don't play until Wednesday next week, which might give Butler enough time to recover. In the meantime, Khris Middleton will likely see more minutes, and John Henson could take his spot as the starting PF.

According to TV play-by-play announcer Jim Paschke, Bucks forward Caron Butler is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his injured shoulder Thursday morning. Butler injured his left shoulder late in Wednesday's 91-94 loss to the Orlando Magic when he collided with teammate Khris Middleton. Butler was in visible pain and appeared unable to move his arm very well as he left the court.

According to Hoopsworld editor Steve Kyler, Butler "heard a pop" in his shoulder and was in "a lot of pain". The MRI should provide a fairly conclusive diagnosis, but it sounds as though Butler may have dislocated his shoulder or possibly damaged some cartilage. Shoulder injuries vary wildly in their recovery prognosis, from a few days or weeks to months if significant structural damage is found.

Giannis Antetokounmpo entered Wednesday's game after Butler exited and played the final 1:42. Khris Middleton, who started as a de facto small-ball PF against the Magic, would presumably take over the starting SF role, possibly leaving John Henson to start at the 4. With Zaza Pachulia out against Orlando, Ekpe Udoh started at center but played just 18 minutes.

The Bucks can ill-afford many more injuries with a rotation already teetering on the cliff of the NBA's 8-man minimum. If Butler is unable to play on Friday against the Pacers, the Bucks could find themselves in a very sad situation:

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