Jarred Vanderbilt ‘progressing upward,’ expected to return this season

While injury updates on him have been scarce, indications are that Jarred Vanderbilt is progressing and slated to return to the Lakers this year from his foot injury.

Since his foot injury diagnosis, updates on Jarred Vanderbilt and his progress have been sparse. Uncertainty about the injury, whether he would need surgery, and the timetable for his return has effectively prevented clarity during the process.

As the season approaches its culmination, the window for his return is also shrinking. However, the signs point to him getting back on the court before the end of the year.

In a recent live stream, Jovan Buha of The Athletic discussed Vando’s timeline and, while it was a bit of speculation, it is informed speculation from one of the team’s insiders.

“The latest I heard was yes...I’ve heard Vando is progressing upward. Sounds like he’s going to be back this season. It’s just a matter of timing. Is it two weeks from now, is it four weeks from now? That’s a big difference.”

As things stand, the season has exactly four weeks remaining. Obviously, that’s a small timetable to get Vanderbilt back, but things seem to be trending in the right direction.

In that short timetable, the Lakers will actually have a week in which they’ll be off for nearly the entirety of it. After playing the Hawks on Monday, March 18, the team will be off until Friday, March 22.

If you were going to integrate a player back into the lineup, that sure would be a good time to do it. The Lakers can’t control when Vando is available, but it would be perfect timing if possible.

Vanderbilt’s initial diagnosis indicated he would be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks at the start of February. Those adept at math will know that timetable has come and gone, though Darvin Ham said in a recent pregame availability that there would be an update on him — and Gabe Vincent — this week.

For now, though, the Lakers and fans are in a wait-and-see game with his rehab. But considering how the team looked with him healthy, getting him back this season with time to integrate back into the lineup would be a huge boost.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.