Photo: David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Milwaukee Bucks swingman Pat Connaughton will be sidelined for approximately three weeks due to a right calf strain, the club announced on Sunday. With that, he’ll miss the initial parts of the 2022-23 season.

Connaughton was already out in the Bucks’ last two preseason games because of calf soreness. An MRI eventually revealed that he even sustained a much severe condition.

Milwaukee has been shorthanded already entering the upcoming season. All-star Khris Middleton is already being pegged to miss some games at the start as he continues to nurse his left wrist surgery recovery. Wesley Matthews was shelved in the team’s entire preseason due to a nagging ankle injury, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo remains unavailable due to a non-COVID illness. Lastly, Joe Ingles remains on track of his ACL healing.

A sweet shooting veteran, Connaughton has been a reliable cager for the Bucks from the past few years. He averaged career highs in points (9.9) and minutes (26.0) last season en route to a three-year, $30MM extension in recent offseason.

With Connaughton set to be out, the Bucks will look into bigger contributions from Grayson Allen. Jordan Nwora and rookie MarJon Beauechamp are likely to gain added minutes as rotational pieces.

The Bucks will open up their 2022-23 campaign in a highly-anticipated Eastern Conference titanic face-off with the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 20.