Spurs Injury Update: Johnson out, Richardson and Sochan to return against Raptors

The 2022-23 version of the Spurs was already somewhat unrecognizable with the number of key players from recent seasons gone and so many new faces (not to mention they haven’t looked at all as expected on the court), but with the number of injuries mounting, they’re also looking more different with each passing game.

With the Spurs set to face the Toronto Raptors this evening, they will most definitely be sporting yet another new starting line-up following the announcement that Keldon Johnson will sit out tonight’s game with a sore calf. He had previously been listed as questionable on the injury report.

Johnson appeared to tweak his leg in the second half of Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves but toughed it out and remained in the game. Hopefully this is just a precautionary move by the Spurs. Isaiah Roby will also miss his second straight game with an illness, but the good news is rookie forward Jeremy Sochan will return after missing the last game with flu-like symptoms (which was confirmed not to be COVID).

Also set to return is Josh Richardson, who sat out on Sunday with lower back tightness and can likely be expected to replace Johnson in the starting line-up. Other potential additions to the rotation could include recently-signed Jordan Hall, whom the Spurs had on a two-way contract before waiving him just nine days ago. Also absent from the Spurs injury report was two-way players Dominick Barlow and Charles Bassey, who had been on G-League assignment, so it appears like they have been called back to the club.

Finally, while Devin Vassell will miss his fourth straight game tonight with a sore knee, he has been fully participating in practice and should be back soon, according to the Spurs. Blake Wesley also remains out indefinitely with a Grade 3 MCL sprain.

To summarize: Vassell, Johnson, Roby and Wesley are out vs. the Raptors, and everyone else is available for the Spurs.

On the Raptors side, Otto Porter Jr. has been upgraded to probable to make his season debut tonight after battling hamstring issues, and noted Spurs-killer Fred VanVleet remains questionable with lower back tightness.