Caron Butler out one week for Clippers with left elbow strain

Caron Butler is expected to miss a week with a strained elbow. (Fernando Medina/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers small forward Caron Butler will miss "about a week" because of a left elbow strain he suffered during a 32 point blowout win Sunday at home against the Detroit Pistons.

The X-ray immediately following the game was negative and the MRI performed on Monday revealed no structural damage, according to head coach Vinny Del Negro. Eric Patten of NBA.com reported that Del Negro said Butler seemed like he was in "a lot of pain" in the training room after the game, but that it didn't appear to be too serious of an injury:

“There wasn’t anything structurally or anything. He just has a strain. We’ll give him some time off and reevaluate him. But they’re (the training staff) telling us about a week.”

In his absence, Grant Hill and Matt Barnes, who is dealing with a sore hand, will be expected to step up but look for Butler to be back in the lineup next week when the Clippers host the Philadelphia 76ers on March 20, assuming he does not suffer any setbacks.

Butler has started 62 games with the Clippers this season, averaging 10.3 points on 42 percent shooting.