Guard Austin Reaves has been out of the lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers since Christmas Day, when he suffered a calf injury against the Houston Rockets. 

Reaves was reportedly set to miss at least one month with the injury. 

Nearly a month to the day since he's been sidelined, Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave an update on Reaves. 

Redick said that Reaves is close to returning, and that he played a "stay ready" game. 

The Lakers want to give him “exposure” to full-contact basketball before he’s cleared.

He said Reaves' return on this trip should be “sooner than later.”

The Lakers are in the middle of an eight-game road trip, which began on the West Coast and now moves to the Central before finishing up on the East Coast. 

After mounting a comeback against the Dallas Mavericks, they face the Chicago Bulls on Monday before heading to Cleveland for a showdown against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. 

They'll conclude the trip with games against the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets before heading home on February 5. 

While it is unclear when Reaves will return, the Lakers could choose to ease him in against the lowly Wizards on Friday, January 30. 

Before his injury, Reaves had played in 23 games and was averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, all of which are career highs. 

Reaves played the majority of the season either with Luka Doncic or on his own as LeBron James missed the first 14 games of the season. 

But since LeBron returned to the lineup on November 18, Reaves continued to be impactful on the offensive end, averaging 25.1 points on 53% from the field and 40% from three. 

When all three have played together this season, the Lakers are 5-3, which includes the loss to Houston on Christmas, where Reaves played only 14 minutes. 

In 140 minutes together for LeBron, Luka, and Reaves this season, the advanced numbers haven't been too promising. 

The three-man lineup has a 108.9 offensive rating and a 118.7 defensive rating. They have been outscored by an average of three points when on the floor together, and teams are shooting 50% from the field. 

The sample size is relatively small for the season, but the Lakers' defense has been much scrutinized, and Reaves' individual defensive rating of 119 is the worst of his career.