Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen has missed the last two games due to a hand injury. Unsurprisingly, without their best player, the Jazz have struggled of late, as they own an 0-2 record since Markkanen's been out with losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings. So when Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and the Phoenix Suns visit the Vivint Arena on Monday night to play the Jazz, every Jazz fan will surely want to know: Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight vs. the Suns?

Lauri Markkanen injury status vs. Suns

The Jazz initially had Markkanen listed as questionable for Monday's showdown with a left hand contusion, per the NBA's official injury report. The good news for Utah fans is that Markkanen has now been cleared to play, and he will be back in the lineup against Phoenix.

In other injury news relevant to the Jazz, veteran Rudy Gay (low back soreness) will sit out for Utah.

Markkanen, 25, is in his sixth year in the NBA and first as a member of the Jazz franchise. He's averaging 25.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.9 turnovers per game across 64 appearances this season (all starts).

The Finland native is scoring the ball with great accuracy from the free-throw line in the 2022-23 campaign, at least by his standards — Markkanen's current 87.1% free-throw percentage is the second-highest of his pro career.

Expect Monday's matchup between the Jazz and Suns to go down to the wire, even with Markkanen in the lineup. After all, both teams are fighting for playoff positioning and have a lot on the line. But with regard to the question, is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight vs. the Suns, the answer is yes.