LaMelo Ball had to leave Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons with what appeared to be an innocuous injury. The Charlotte Hornets star looked fine as he returned to the locker room, but it has now been confirmed that the ankle problem is more serious than initially expected.

The Hornets officially announced that LaMelo suffered a fracture in his right ankle. It was also a non-contact injury, which in most cases is even more worrisome:

BREAKING: Lamelo Ball has suffered a fracture in his right ankle, the Hornets have announced via @JerryDonatien.

Here’s the play where Ball suffered the fracture:pic.twitter.com/0uzRlZTWFh

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 28, 2023

This is not good news at all for Charlotte Hornets fans. It’s not that their team is chasing a playoff spot at the moment-they’re 14th in the East with a 20-43 record-but the fact that Lamelo Ball has to spend some time in the stands again is undeniably bad news.

There is no timetable yet for Ball’s return, but given his Injury history, it would not be surprising if he ended his season here because of this recent injury. The fact that the Hornets have nothing to play for this season is also expected to have a significant impact on Ball’s status in the near future.

Read also: Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James injury worries.