Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes Out for Second Half With Face Injury

Feb 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) controls the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes will be out for the remainder of Wednesday's game.

Hayes has been ruled out for the second half of the Jazz game due to a facial contusion.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin shared via X.

Jaxson Hayes will not return for the second half because of a facial contusion, the Lakers say.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 13, 2025

Hayes leaves the game with four points and two rebounds in seven minutes. The injury seemed to occur in the first quarter after he took a shot to the face by Jazz forward John Collins.

Newly signed free agent center Alex Len started in place of Hayes in the second half.

The Lakers are already shorthanded when it comes to their center position, so if Hayes were to miss an extended period of time, L.A. could be in trouble.

The hope is that this is nothing serious. If that is the case, at least he will have a week off, as the All-Star break commences after tonight's game.

The next time the Lakers will play is Feb. 19 against the Charlotte Hornets.

Hayes has been solid for the Lakers all season long, but he has been spectacular as of late. His defense and energy have been key for L.A., especially after the departure of their former superstar, Anthony Davis.

In the season, Hayes is averaging 5.9 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 69.6 percent from the field and 72.9 percent from the charity stripe.

In his last outing, Hayes was great, tallying 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes of action.

Hayes will be a key piece to the Lakers moving forward as they look to make a deep playoff run this season.

L.A. was already a good team before the massive trade for Luka Dončić; however, they are officially contenders for the rest of the season, and with no legitimate big man on their roster, all eyes will be on Hayes.

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