Chad Baker-Mazara injury update: Auburn star heads to locker room vs. Florida

Auburn finds itself in an unfamiliar position on Saturday, losing late in the second half against Florida. The time to pull off a comeback win is certainly running out and now, Bruce Pearl‘s team might have to be without a key player. Chad Baker-Mazara is back in the locker room with just under 2:30 remaining.

Baker-Mazara was going up for a rebound and actually was the victim of friendly fire. Dylan Cardwell was extending his arm out and went into his teammate’s head. A tough shot to take, especially from somebody the size of Cardwell.

Once the game was stopped, trainers came onto the court. Baker-Mazara was helped to his feet but immediately sent back to the locker room.

This has not been anybody’s day from the Auburn side, struggling to find consistent offense vs. Florida. Baker-Mazara is no different, leaving the game with six points on 2-6 shooting from the field. Just one three-pointer and even more surprisingly, one free throw is on the stat sheet.

Priority No. 1 right now on the Plains is attempting to find a way to earn a win. This would be just the second loss of the year for Auburn and the first at home. Losing in the Jungle has become almost non-existent in recent years under Pearl.

But the health of Baker-Mazara is certainly a close second. A lot more basketball will be played outside of Saturday and having a key piece such as Baker-Mazara will be critical for Auburn.

Auburn hoping Chad Baker-Mazara injury is not too serious

The hope is nothing is too serious for Baker-Mazara, avoiding any missed time other than what occurs vs. Florida. Auburn is set to spend the next week on the road with a tough matchup midweek before a heavyweight bout on Saturday.

Vanderbilt is next up on the schedule, a team capable of pulling off a major upset in their own arena. Highly ranked teams have gone into Nashville and come out with a loss as thousands of fans spill onto the court.

A few days later, Auburn heads to Tuscaloosa in what will be the biggest game in the rivalry’s history. There is certainly a chance for a top-three showdown between the two, pending results for both Auburn and Alabama.

Those are the type of games where you want Baker-Mazara in the lineup. Not just because of his ability but with his on-court leadership in hostile environments.