The Los Angeles Lakers will get an added boost to the lineup for their game against Charlotte on Thursday with the return of Alex Caruso. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Caruso has cleared concussion protocol and will be available to play.

It's a welcoming presence for the Lakers who despite being 3-0 after the all-star break, have been dealing with some absences in the lineup. The guys missing time have put an extra workload on others in the Lakers rotation as Los Angeles tries to get healthy and back to full strength at the right time of the season.

Anthony Davis is still out and Marc Gasol remains out as well for a sixth straight game due to health and safety protocols. So getting Caruso back is a sight for sore eyes for the Lakers.

The Lakers guard is in his 4th season with the team, averaging 5.7 points per game in 19.5 minutes a night. He's played in 30 games for Los Angeles, all of those coming off the bench. Caruso has become a fan favorite amongst those who cheer for the defending champions and it's not hard to see why with his aggressive style of play.

Getting Caruso back is the first of three pieces the Lakers hope to have return in the coming days and weeks with the aforementioned Davis and Gasol being the other two.

Los Angeles hasn't skipped a beat, having beaten the Pacers, Warriors and Timberwolves consecutively to start the second half of their schedule. They'll try to ride that wave against Charlotte on Thursday.