Cody Zeller exited Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a fractured left hand and did not return. Zeller suffered the injury early in the period while defending a shot from Andre Drummond in the paint and fighting for the ensuing rebound.
After leaving the game, Zeller was ruled out by the team with a fracture in his left hand. After the game, James Borrego noted that Zeller is expected to “miss some time” but did not have an idea of a timetable yet.
Zeller is the second Hornet this season already to suffer a fracture in their hand. Gordon Hayward fractured a finger on his right hand in the team’s second preseason game. After missing the ensuing two exhibition games, Hayward returned for the season-opener and was the team’s second-leading scorer.