A short week does not appear the recipe for a swift return from surgery. 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell sustained a fractured finger on Monday night in the 31-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams and underwent surgery to get a pin placed in that finger on Tuesday.
While the team had expressed some optimism that he would play, general manager John Lynch indicated Friday morning on KNBR that the surgery was “a little different than what we anticipated.”
Kyle Shanahan said later on Friday that Mitchell would be doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He said Mitchell sustained the injury in the second quarter of Monday’s game and didn’t mention it to anyone, initially thinking it was a finger jam.
Mitchell is unlikely to play in Jacksonville; two other players have already been ruled out.
OUT
RB JaMycal Hasty (ankle)
DT Maurice Hurst (calf)
Doubtful
RB Elijah Mitchell (finger)
This obviously paves the way for Jeff Wilson Jr. to be the team’s lead back this weekend, with Trey Sermon the No. 2 and Kyle Juszcyk as the third-down back. Shanahan said Sermon will be prepared for whatever workload the 49ers give him.
Below is the Jaguars’ status report for Sunday:
OUT
LB Dakota Allen (shoulder)
Questionable
RB James Robinson (heel, knee)
The status of running back James Robinson is obviously significant, as he’s a major component of Jacksonville’s offense.