It looks like LaMelo Ball will make his highly-anticipated return to action for the Charlotte Hornets sooner rather than later.

In a recent interview, Hornets head coach James Borrego confirmed that Charlotte's prized rookie has been cleared for practice — a key step towards Ball's bid to come back within the next few games (h/t Rod Boone of SI.com):

Before we get too excited, it has to be made clear that at this point, nothing is guaranteed. Coach Borrego confirmed that Ball (and teammate Malik Monk) “could” participate in practice on Thursday, which means that he's getting very close. Barring any unforeseen setback, we could see the Rookie of the Year frontrunner back on the court in the immediate future.

It was earlier reported that Ball could return as early as this weekend. The Hornets have a back-to-back set on Saturday and Sunday against the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat, respectively, so if all goes according to plan, Ball could suit up for one of those games.

The Hornets could sure use a boost right now considering how tight the race is out East. At the moment, Charlotte is in possession of the eighth seed in the conference. The Indiana Pacers, however, are just one game behind them at ninth. Moreover, only four and a half games separate the Hornets from the 12th-placed Toronto Raptors.

Needless to say, a postseason berth is anything but a certainty for the Hornets at this point, and the return of LaMelo Ball will certainly help their cause.