Tyler Herro is on track to return for the Miami Heat. After missing 15 consecutive games with a rib injury, Herro was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and is officially listed as probable for Friday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. The timing matters. Miami is coming out of the All-Star break searching for momentum, and its leading scorer may finally be back in the rotation.
“We will see how he responds when we get to Atlanta,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s encouraging to have him back in the mix. We’re all excited about it.”
Herro’s absence wasn’t minor. Speaking publicly for the first time in more than a month, he confirmed he sustained three fractured ribs.
“There’s not too much discomfort anymore compared to where I was three or four weeks ago,” Herro said. “I couldn’t even get out of bed. It was crazy. There was nothing I could magically do to fix my ribs. I had three fractured ribs. My ribs were in a lot of pain.”
He later described the recovery process as deliberate and unavoidable.
“It was unique,” Herro said. “Once I knew what it was, it was just a matter of relaxing and letting my body recover. There’s nothing I could magically do to fix my ribs; I had three, like, fractured ribs. So my ribs were in a lot of pain, just doing normal lifestyle, things I couldn’t do, so there was no way I could play basketball. I played the first three games off of Torodol shots, and it was cool, but I couldn’t do that for the rest of the season, so it was a matter of just letting this thing calm down.”
The 26-year-old has endured a frustrating year. He missed the first 17 games following offseason ankle surgery, sat out 13 more with a toe contusion, and now 15 straight with the rib injury. In just 11 appearances, he has averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 49.7 percent from the field.
Friday’s contest is the front end of a back-to-back, with the Memphis Grizzlies waiting Saturday. Even if Herro plays, minute restrictions or a maintenance day remain possible. Miami hasn’t been whole often this season. That could finally change.