Ex-Cal Stars on the Mend: Will Collin Morikawa Miss the Masters?

Jaylen Brown is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday evening when the Boston Celtics visit the Miami in his second game back after missing two outings because of Achilles tendinitis.

But three other former Cal athletes are currently on the injury shelf, including Collin Morikawa, the world’s eighth-ranked golfer, whose sore back leaves him questionable for the Masters next week.

Meanwhile, first baseman Andrew Vaughn of the Milwaukee Brewers is likely to be sidelined until mid-May after undergoing surgery this week to repair a broken hand he suffered on Opening Day.

And second-year NBA player Jaylon Tyson, a key contributor for the Cleveland Cavaliers, will miss his seventh consecutive game Wednesday night due to a bone bruise in his left big toe.

Here’s an update on how the four ex-Golden Bears are doing:

Jaylen Brown dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

JAYLEN BROWN: The 29-year-old, five-time All-Star sat out two games last week due to soreness in his Achilles. Brown returned to action Tuesday night and delivered a near triple-double — 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists — in Boston’s 112-102 loss to Atlanta.

But he also shot 9 for 29 and had six turnovers, prompting him to call it “probably one of my worst games of the year.”

More importantly, with the postseason looming, Brown said he felt fine. “I’m just trying to get my feet up under me, just maintain my balance, stuff like that,” he told the Boston Sports Network. “I feel like I missed a lot of easy shots, even at the rim. Uncharacteristic, but you shake it off and move on. It’ll be fine going forward.”

Collin Morikawa poses with the trophy after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

COLLIN MORIKAWA: The two-time major winner was off to a great start to the season, winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and posting top-10 finishes at The Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 29-year-old has hasn’t played since withdrawing from The Players tournament on March 12 after suffering back spasms on a practice swing before hitting his tee shot on the second hole in the first round.

“Took one practice swing, and I just knew it was gone,” Morikawa said at the time. “Like I just had the feeling before when it's happened. And I just, I can't swing through it. Trust me, I would play if I could. It's just the worst thing in the world.”

He withdrew Tuesday from this week’s Valero Texas Open and his status for the Masters is uncertain. Morikawa owns victories at the PGA Championship and The (British) Open, and has posted four consecutive top-15 finishes at Augusta National, including a tie for third place in 2024.

Andrew Vaughn drives in a run with a base hit on Opening Day | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

ANDREW VAUGHN: On the heels of a strong spring training Vaughn earned the starting first base job with the Brewers and was in the cleanup spot last Thursday as Milwaukee clobbered his former team, the Chicago White Sox, 14-2 on Opening Day.

The 27-year old went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the sixth inning, but apparently suffered the hand injury during his first at-bat.

“I went home that night and felt kind of fine. My hand was a little sore,” he told reporters this week after having surgery. “I woke up in the middle of the night and it was barking. It was like, ‘Something’s not right.’

“I definitely was (surprised). Usually people say when it happens, right away it stings. I think it could have been the adrenaline of Opening Day. Then it hit me: Something is definitely wrong.”

Vaughn, who won the Golden Spikes Award as the top hitter in college baseball as a sophomore at Cal in 2018, experienced a career rejuvenation last season after a mid-season trade from Chicago to Milwaukee. He batted .308 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 64 games with the Brewers, then kept it up in spring training, hitting .367 with three homers and nine RBIs in 16 games.

Jaylon Tyson drives to the basket against the Philadelphia 76ers | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

JAYLON TYSON: The 23-year-old guard, an all-Pac-12 selection for the Bears in his one season at Berkeley in 2023-24, has made a huge performance leap since his rookie season a year ago. He’s averaging 13.1 points and shooting nearly 44 percent from the 3-point arc while splitting time as a starter and reserve.

His bruised toe will keep him out of a seventh straight game Thursday night when the Cavaliers visit the Warriors at Chase Center. There is no timetable for his return.

“He’s still not there,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters late last week. “But he did play a small set of games this morning, three-on-three and stuff, so that’s good news.”

The concern for Tyson is that missing such a substantial stretch of games just before the start of the postseason could leave him out of the Cavs' rotation when the playoffs do arrive later this month.

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