MIAMI - Miami Heat star Tyler Herro returned to practice Thursday after missing the last 15 games due to a rib injury, with his status for Friday's game against the Atlanta Hawks likely to be revealed. With rumors swirling as to when the Heat guard will return to Herro, it looks like the answer has been resolved by the injury report.
Miami is listing Herro as "probable" for Friday's game as the team travels to take on the Hawks, which is a significant point in time for a guard who has missed not only the last 15 games due to injury, but has been absent 45 games this year.
He would miss the first 17 games of the season due to an offseason ankle injury, then missed 13 games due to a toe injury, and an injury that was listed as "Right costochondral; rib injury". In reference to his role with the team in his first game since January 15, he was asked on Thursday afternoon if he would come off the bench, thus he returned from a toe injury on January 6, but then started after that contest.
"I don't know, we'll see what happens if I'm able to play tomorrow. Whatever minutes I get, I'm just happy to be out here again, playing with my teammates and playing a game that I finally love," Herro said.
Tyler Herro speaks after returning to practice (fully) after missing the last 15 games due to a rib injury. Will travel with the team, but not sure whether he will play tomorrow or not.
Talked about recovery, their disappointing season, Norman Powell being an All-Star, etc. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/FX13kYtkCE
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026
Herro told ClutchPoints that he suffered three broken ribs, and he played three games on Torodol shots to deal with the pain, but he would be unable to play the entire season that way due to his absence.
In the 11 games he has played, Herro has averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Heat's Erik Spoelstra returning to rotation on Tyler Herro
While the Heat are coming off the All-Star break, the team is still looking for a level of consistency, as injuries have been a problem plaguing the team, such as Herro's continued absence. When Herro returns, no matter what role he plays, his offensive impact cannot be denied and head coach Erik Spoelstra said how "exciting" it was to see the guard back at practice at full strength.
"But it was very exciting to have Tyler out here in practice. You know, he's done everything he's needed to do over the last few weeks to prepare for this. And it's exciting to have him back in the mix. We're all excited about it," Spoelstra said.
Erik Spoelstra talks about Tyler Herro's return to practice and how "exciting" it was to see him socializing with the team.
As Herro said earlier, I'm not committed to him playing tomorrow. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3f1kwQ37we
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026
With 26 games left in the season, Spoelstra will look to find ways to get the best out of Herro, especially with Norman Powell and Bam Adebayo, as the trio have only played in eight games together this season. While that means there will be less playing time for any player on the roster, Spoelstra says there are "levels of sacrifice" that need to be made.
“Let's not forget, Tyler is a talent,” Spoelstra said. "We need to maximize our rotation, we need our talent; we need to put it together fast. We know what our identity is on both sides of the floor; our guys have a stake in what we're trying to do. There's going to be some level of sacrifice throughout the rotation. If all the guys are available then that's how it should be."
Erik Spoelstra speaks on using different lineups with Tyler Herro back: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/WJ3kkC7gWF
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026
At any rate, Miami is 29-27, which puts them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference as Herro looks to officially return to action on Friday in Atlanta.
