DJ Carton is returning to Ohio State, but there remains no timetable for when he could return to any team activities, per The Dispatch.
The freshman guard, who announced on Jan. 30 that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team to address mental health issues, posted that he would be “back with the gang Friday (Feb. 21)” to social media on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Carton posted a short video of himself inside the Quad City International Airport in the morning of Thursday, Feb. 20, with the Buckeyes visiting the Hawkeyes a for a 7 p.m. tip off.
Since Carton announced his leave of absence, Carton has been with family in his hometown of Bettendorf, Iowa. Even though the talented freshman is returning to school, there remains no concrete timetable for when, or if, he will play again for the Scarlet and Gray again during the 2019-20 season.
With medical issues, particularly regarding mental health, there is a protocol that Carton must go through before he can rejoin the team on the floor.
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann was asked about the possibility of a surprise return for Carton at Iowa during his Wednesday, Feb. 19 press conference.
“I’m hopeful that we can get him on a path towards improved health,” Holtmann said Feb. 19. “That’s the only priority. Obviously we’re late in the season, and you can draw your own conclusions from that. It’s late in the year, and he’s been away for a while. If and when he returns, when you leave for medical reasons there’s a lot that goes into being in any way acclimated back into any type of organized activity.
“When a player is pulled away for medical reasons, specifically mental health, there is very specific and extended protocol that goes into that and it’s to protect the player. It’s pretty extensive. That’s about as much as I can say on that.”
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