Magic forward Franz Wagner, who underwent an MRI on Tuesday after exiting Monday’s game due to calf tightness, has been diagnosed with a right calf strain, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Wagner’s status for Game 5 of the series is up in the air and will depend on his response to treatment. The Magic have confirmed Charania’s reporting and indicated the 24-year-old will be listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest (Twitter link).
The fact that Wagner hasn’t already been ruled out for Wednesday’s game is a positive sign for Orlando and suggests that the strain must be a mild one. Still, even a Grade 1 strain typically causes players to miss at least a week or so, so it would be a bit of a surprise if Wagner is active for Game 5. The Magic certainly won’t want to take their 3-1 series lead for granted against a 60-win Pistons team, but calf issues are tricky to manage and can lead to more serious injuries if they’re mishandled.
Despite sitting out the fourth quarter of Game 4, Wagner scored 19 points, matching his series high. Through four playoff games, he has averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 steals in 30.5 minutes per night, with a .439/.333/.933 shooting line.
Reserve wing Jamal Cain was on the court for the entire fourth quarter in Wagner’s place on Monday and played a key role in the victory, acting as the primary defender on Pistons star Cade Cunningham and throwing down an emphatic highlight-reel dunk, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details.
Based on his Game 5 usage, Cain may be the leading candidate to move into the starting lineup if Wagner sits, though Anthony Black and Tristan Da Silva also started several games during the regular season when the German forward was inactive due to an ankle injury.