In a mostly healthy first season with the Toronto Raptors, forward Brandon Ingram has dealt with a lingering foot injury over the past week.
Ingram missed three of the last six games for the Raptors due to right heel inflammation, but he will be available to play for Toronto on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 28-year-old has been dealing with the setback in the most crucial stretch of the regular season. While he’s expected to make his return, Ingram will hope to look past the injury for a playoff push down the stretch.
Brandon Ingram’s Struggling March
The Raptors traded for Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans at last year’s trade deadline. Before ever appearing in a game for Toronto, they extended the forward on a three-year, $120 million deal. He sat out the final four months of the 2024-25 regular season due to a high-grade left ankle sprain.
Since returning in full form for 2025-26, Ingram has emerged as the Raptors’ top scorer (21.4 points per game) this season. He’s been healthy for the large majority of the campaign, only missing two games in January before suffering a heel injury that has sidelined him for three games.
Brandon Ingram averaged 21 or more points per game in every month leading up to March, but his numbers shrank slightly to 19.5 points per game over the past 13.
He’s struggled to find any momentum over recent games. Although his pure talent of scoring helped him get his first 20-point performance in a March 31 loss to the Detroit Pistons. He failed to get over the threshold in his previous five outings.
It’s apparent that the heel inflammation is taking a toll on his performance, but the Raptors hope the issue is behind him while they push for a playoff spot in the final six games of the regular season.
Toronto has a 3-2 record in games without Brandon Ingram this season.
Raptors Find Success After Missing Playoffs in Four Straight Years
The middle of the Eastern Conference standings is as close as it gets as the regular season comes to an end on April 12, and the Raptors are right in the middle of it all.
Toronto has an identical record with the No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers at 42-34. However, the 76ers hold the tie-breaker over the Raptors. This means that Toronto is currently a Play-In team as the No. 7 seed.
The Raptors will hope that Brandon Ingram, alongside Scottie Barnes and R.J. Barrett, can help get Toronto over the hump. Starting point guard and Toronto’s fourth-leading scorer, Immanuel Quickley is still without a timetable to return while dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Their season started out electric, with a 14-5 record and nine straight wins from Nov. 11 to Nov. 26. Since then, the Raptors have gone stale with a 28-29 record.
A Play-In bid shows progress as the Raptors look for their first postseason appearance since losing in the first round in 2021-22.
Toronto gets back on the road to play the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. This will be their last matchup against a Western Conference team. The Raptors will travel to Boston on Sunday to take on the Celtics before the final week of the regular season.
Raptors’ Brandon Ingram Gets Injury Update After Missing One Game