Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Delivers Promising Jayson Tatum Injury Update originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With each passing week, noise surrounding a potential Jayson Tatum return continues to get louder. The Boston Celtics’ All-NBA forward has been out of the rotation since injuring his Achilles in the second round of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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Earlier this month, Tatum was cleared for controlled five-on-five work with the team’s coaching staff.

Tatum has since taking part in a practice session with the Maine Celtics, where he was joined by some of Boston’s end of bench talent. On Saturday, Feb. 21, the Celtics shared some images from a team practice that appeared to show Tatum participating, albeit against coaches and the likes of Luka Garza.

When speaking with the media during his post-practice news conference, head coach Joe Mazzulla provided a positive update on Tatum’s recovery and the direction he’s heading in.

“He’s just continuing to get better,” Mazzulla said, per CLNS Media. “Working on his reads and then continuing to hit his checkmarks in the weight room and then in the treatment room as well. The main goal is just making sure he gets 100% healthy and continues to get better and better…It’s just trusting the group that we have around him. And taking it step-by-step. So, just making sure we stick to that as much as we can. He came out of the Maine practice pretty well, and so we’ll continue to see it from there. It just depends as he continues to hit those check marks, whatever they may be.”

Despite Tatum’s clear progression, we’re still no closer to knowing if he will make an in-season return for the Celtics. However, if he does plan to get back on the court, a return should happen soon. Tatum will need a sizeable runway to get himself back into shape and shake off the inevitable rust.

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Right now, everyone is remaining tight-lipped over what the immediate future holds for Tatum. However, every time new workout footage or pictures of him at the practice facility emerge, excitement and expectations grow. Therefore, the fanbase will be hoping for a definitive answer regarding a potential in-season return in the coming weeks.

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