Blazers' Deandre Ayton out at Least 4 Weeks with Calf Injury After MRI

The Portland Trail Blazers will be without their starting center for an extended period after a recent injury.

The team announced Wednesday that Deandre Ayton, who left Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets due to a calf injury, underwent an MRI on Tuesday, and the test confirmed a left calf strain.

The Blazers said Ayton will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Ayton, who is in his seventh season and second with Portland, is putting up 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and a block per game for the Blazers. His numbers have tapered of slightly from his time with the Phoenix Suns, where he started his career, but he's still an effective rebounder and steady paint presence.

Injuries have unfortunately been a theme of Ayton's short time in Portland. He missed 27 games last season due to a number of injuries and will now have to miss several games this year.

Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, hasn't quite lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he came into the NBA, but at just 26 years old he has the chance to continue carving out a solid career. For now, he'll look to get healthy and continue helping the Trail Blazers during their rebuild.

Though Portland is still far from being a championship contender, the Blazers have shown some improvement this year. They've already surpassed their win total from last season and are on pace for their most wins in the last three years.

Portland has won 10 of its last 12 games and is currently sitting in 13th place in the Western Conference. The Blazers are still in the playoff mix as they're just 4.5 games behind the No. 10-seeded Golden State Warriors, but they'll need to have a strong second half of the season to snap a three-year postseason drought.

Ayton being sidelined for at least a month won't make things any easier.