LaMelo Ball was forced to exit Monday's game against the Detroit Pistons with what seemed like an innocuous injury. The Charlotte Hornets star looked fine as he walked back to the locker room, but it has now been confirmed that the ankle issue is more serious than initially anticipated.

The Hornets have now officially announced that LaMelo has suffered a fracture in his right ankle. It was a non-contact injury too, which for the most part, is even more concerning:

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This isn't good news at all for Hornets fans. It's not as if their team is chasing a spot in the playoffs at the moment — they are 14th in the East with a 20-43 record — but the fact that LaMelo Ball is now in line to spend some time on the shelf again is undeniably concerning news for them. There is no timetable for Ball as of yet, but given his injury history, it would not be surprising if he ends up missing extended time due to this most recent knock. The fact that the Hornets have nothing to play for this season is also expected to have a significant impact on Ball's playing status moving forward.

Ankle fractures can be tricky and it usually takes multiple weeks to heal. Sometimes, it even requires one-to-two months on the shelf. Depending on the severity of LaMelo Ball's injury, it would not be a complete shock if the Hornets end up shutting him down for the remainder of the season. Unfortunately, there is now a possibility that we've seen Ball play in his last game this season.