Lakers' Russell Westbrook Expected to Return from Hamstring Injury vs. Timberwolves

After missing Wednesday's game with a hamstring injury, Russell Westbrook is expected back for the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Westbrook has been upgraded to probable for the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added Westbrook could come off the bench, but that might be determined by whether or not Anthony Davis will be able to play as he recovers from a back injury:

Westbrook has been dealing with a hamstring injury since the Lakers' final preseason game against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 14. He attributed the injury to being used off the bench and the change in his usual routine while speaking to reporters:

"I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. For me, obviously the way I play the game, it’s fast-paced, quick, stop-and-go. And I just happened to, when I subbed in, I felt something. Thought it was… didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t going to risk it in a preseason game. But definitely wasn’t something I was used to. Wasn’t warm enough. But that’s something I just wasn’t accustomed to."

Head coach Darvin Ham announced before the game Westbrook would come off the bench as the team experimented with lineup combinations before the start of the regular season.

Ham told reporters before tipoff that Westbrook was receptive to potentially being used as a sixth man.

When the regular season began, Westbrook occupied a spot in the Lakers' starting lineup for each of the first three games. His usage rate in those games was only 22.6 percent, which would be the lowest mark of his career.

The Lakers held Westbrook out of their Oct. 26 game against the Denver Nuggets. They lost 110-99, dropping their record to 0-4 for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Westbrook is only averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in three starts this season. He's shooting 28.9 percent from the field and has made just one of 12 attempts behind the arc.

Los Angeles will play the Timberwolves at the Target Center on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. The team will be looking to avoid its first 0-5 start since 2014-15.