# Suns lose Mark Williams until February

> A torn labrum knocks out Phoenix's starting center for about five months, and two young bigs inherit the job.
- Title: Suns lose Mark Williams until February · Phoenix Suns On SI
- Summary: A torn labrum knocks out Phoenix's starting center for about five months, and two young bigs inherit the job. Williams is out roughly five months after…
- Keywords: nba, phoenix suns, injuries, mark williams, roster, sports, Suns, lose, Mark, Williams, until, February
- Source: Phoenix Suns On SI — https://si.com/nba/suns/onsi/insider-reveals-when-phoenix-suns-center-mark-williams-should-return-from-injury
- Published: 2026-09-11T18:13:53+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nba, phoenix suns, injuries, mark williams, roster, sports
## Suns lose their starting center
Phoenix announced on a Friday that starting center Mark Williams is out for an extended stretch with a shoulder injury.
## Torn labrum, surgery done
Williams had surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The team said the injury happened during an offseason workout.

> underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder
## No official timeline
The Suns' statement stopped short of a return date, saying a timetable would be set later. That leaves the team in wait-and-see mode.

> A timetable for his return to play will be established at a later date.
## Insider says five months
Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro reported on X that the expectation is at least five months of recovery from the shoulder surgery.

> we should expect at least 5 months recovering from shoulder surgery
## That means mid February
Five months from September lands Williams around mid February, which points to a return just after the All-Star break.
## Ighodaro already has reps
Oso Ighodaro filled in last season when Williams hurt his left foot, playing from early March through the Suns' playoff exit.

> He just connects. He just kinda fills some gaps
## Ott likes the fit
Head coach Jordan Ott has praised Ighodaro's athleticism and rim running at the five, and pointed out he is only in his second year.

> We often forget it's only his second year. Oso's been great.
## Maluach gets his opening
The former top ten pick now has a clear path to minutes. He is raw, but the size, athleticism and rim protection are real.

> the overall size and rim protection, you can feel it every second he's out there
## Three weeks to sort it out
Training camp opens in about three weeks, giving Phoenix time to rework the rotation before games count.
## Key takeaway

Williams is out roughly five months after labrum surgery, so Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach will carry the center spot until at least mid February.