Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Ajay Mitchell will be available to play on Friday against the Utah Jazz following a three-month absence due to a right big toe sprain sustained on Jan. 3.
The Thunder announced that Mitchell underwent surgery to repair the injury on Jan. 10 and was expected to miss at least 10-12 weeks. He had emerged as a key player off the bench for coach Mark Daigneault and appeared in every game of the season up until the injury.
Mitchell made steady progress following surgery and ramped up his on-court work over the past week at the team practice facility. He was spotted participating in pregame warmups on Tuesday prior to the team hosting the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ajay Mitchell is no longer listed on the Thunder's injury report. He'll be available for tomorrow's game against the Jazz
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 10, 2025
Mitchell is averaging 6.4 points, two rebounds and 1.7 assists on 43.1% shooting from 3-point range in 34 games this season with the Thunder. He has scored in double figures 11 times, including a career-high 17 points on Dec. 29 in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 38th pick initially signed a two-way contract with the Thunder in July after playing three years at UC Santa Barbara. He was upgraded from a two-way contract to a multiyear contract with the organization on Feb. 6 after a productive start on the court.
Mitchell started the year in the rotation after impressing Daigneault and the rest of the coaching staff in preseason scrimmages. With two games remaining in the regular season, Mitchell will likely have the opportunity to play a large role and be ready for the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Thunder news: Rookie Ajay Mitchell set to return from toe injury
