Will Shake Milton Make His Return vs. Hornets on Wednesday?

The Philadelphia 76ers' backcourt has taken a significant hit lately. Not only has the starting point guard Tyrese Maxey missed time as he's in the health and safety protocol battling COVID-19, but Maxey's backup Shake Milton is also out as he deals with a back injury, which he suffered a little over a week ago.

Last Monday, the Sixers geared up for a matchup at home against the Houston Rockets. Heading into the game, both Maxey and Milton were slated to play. However, roughly about an hour before tip-off, Maxey was ruled out as he entered the protocol.

Milton got the nod to play. Although he didn't start in Maxey's absence, the veteran appeared on the court for 20 minutes. Unfortunately, his night ended prematurely as Milton took a hard fall in the second half of the game.

Following Philadelphia's dominant victory over the Rockets last Monday, a Sixers official confirmed that he was dealing with a back contusion and wasn't medically cleared to return to the court.

When Will Milton Return?

The Sixers haven't offered a timetable on Shake Milton. After he suffered his back injury, the team had him on a day-to-day timetable. 

When the Sixers traveled down South to face the Orlando Magic last Wednesday, Milton was ruled out early. Last Friday, when the San Antonio Spurs paid the Sixers a visit in Philly, Milton missed his second-straight game.

This past Sunday, the veteran guard wasn't a participant at practice, which all but confirmed Milton wouldn't play in Monday's game on the road against the Houston Rockets as well. That turned out to be the case.

Milton already missed a week's worth of games, and the trend will continue on Wednesday. As the Sixers are set to host the Charlotte Hornets for the first time this season, Milton has been ruled out as early as Tuesday night.

The team is still unclear when Milton will get back out on the floor. As he's out of the lineup on Wednesday, though, Friday's game against the Boston Celtics becomes the earliest date he could return.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.