The Indiana Pacers will be without big man Myles Turner for an extended period following news that the 25-year-old has been ruled out indefinitely due to a foot injury. This is an undeniably tough blow for the Pacers who are currently looking to secure their place in the Eastern Conference playoffs picture.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, Turner is currently without a timetable with his toe injury:

Turner was in action for the Pacers on Sunday, as he returned from a six-game absence due to a concussion. Indiana suffered a 129-117 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, and as it appears, they also lost Turner in the process.

The Pacers are in action on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. Entering this match, Indiana currently sits two games behind the eighth-seeded Charlotte Hornets out East. The Pacers have lost their past two games and are quickly losing ground on the final postseason spot in the conference.

Indiana will be hard-pressed to replace Turner from their starting lineup. The 6-foot-11 center has emerged as one of the best rim protectors in the league today and he has served as the team's anchor on defense. All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis will now be forced to play a bigger role for the team on the defensive end. What type of impact this will have on Sabonis' production on offense remains to be seen.

The battle for the final spot in the East is already extremely tough as it is, but losing Turner only makes things more difficult for Indiana.