Portland Trail Blazers swingman Josh Hart, who was forced to exit Wednesday's game against the Utah Jazz due to injury, has been officially ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Hart injured his hamstring early in the first quarter, pushing the team to just keep him sidelined for the night. The Blazers called his injury a hamstring tightness though, so his departure might just be a precautionary measure by the team.

The 27-year-old Hart started for Portland against the Jazz, but he ended up playing just nine minutes. Prior to his exit, Hart failed to score but made two rebounds, one assist and one steal.

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Josh Hart has been a key starter for the Blazers, so his absence is certainly quite the blow for the team. His offensive output may have decreased this season, but his value for the team is on the defensive end. His hustle and energy have benefited Portland several times this season as well. He averaged 9.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 45 games for Portland prior to Wednesday.

Hopefully Hart won't have to be sidelined beyond their latest outing. If he ends up being ruled out, though, the likes of Nassir Little and Shaedon Sharpe will have to fill his shoes for the meantime.

After the Jazz, the Blazers' next game is on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. They will then play the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls next week.