Jermaine O'Neal (calf, flu) will not play on Friday, and Jared Dudley (flu) is doubtful to suit up against the Timberwolves.

O'Neal was considered doubtful at best coming in due to his calf contusion, so that isn't really much of a surprise. Dudley played a whopping 8.5 minutes against the Wizards in the Suns last game due to the flu, so his absence shouldn't impact many fantasy leagues, but it will open up some minutes on the wing. Luis Scola will start at center in place of O'Neal with Hamed Haddadi seeing a boost off the bench.

Jermaine O'Neal (calf) did not practice on Thursday and "could be sidelined beyond Friday's game against Minnesota."

It sounds as if O'Neal has already been ruled out on Friday and the Suns are bracing for the fact they'll be without him for longer than that. "I know he's pretty sore," Lindsey Hunter said. The team will take it day-by-day, but we'd expect O'Neal to sit on Friday, meaning Luis Scola, Hamed Haddadi and possibly Markieff Morris will all be called into extended action.

Jermaine O'Neal, who left Wednesday's game with a leg injury, has been diagnosed with a calf strain.

O'Neal will probably be reevaluated on Thursday and his status moving forward will be dependent on what further testing reveals. Even if it is just a calf strain, O'Neal should be considered very questionable to face the Timberwolves on Friday. If he does sit, Hamed Haddadi will be leaned upon to contribute with guys like Luis Scola and Markieff Morris playing some minutes inside.

Jermaine O'Neal went to the locker room with a lower left leg injury in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game against the Wizards.

He was grimacing in pain for a while and went to the locker room with assistance and a wrap and ice on his calf. JO is one of the most injury-prone players in the league, so there's a good chance the Suns will have to sit him down for at least one game. There's also a chance he is out for a while. The Suns are gutted up front, so guys like Luis Scola, Hamed Haddadi and Markieff Morris figure to gain value.

Jermaine O'Neal started at center and had 12 points, eight boards and two blocks in 26 minutes vs. the Wizards.

J.O. is averaging 12.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his past 11 games, numbers that would benefit owners in nearly all fantasy formats. The key for O'Neal, as usual, is simply staying healthy enough to continue playing 25+ minutes.

Jermaine O'Neal shot 7-of-9 from the field for 18 points with five boards and one assist in 29 minutes against the Hawks in a start on Friday.

He played just 23 minutes Wednesday, scoring only three points with three boards and two blocks in his first game back for personal reasons. JO isn't going to log big minutes, but he's shown enough this year to indicate he'll be worthy of consideration in standard leagues.

Lindsey Hunter has decided to bench Luis Scola and start Jermaine O'Neal at center for Friday's game against the Hawks.

Markieff Morris will continue to start at power forward in order to "try to spur him," but the most significant news is O'Neal in the starting lineup and Scola on the bench. Scola has only played more than 30 minutes once in March, while O'Neal has flirted with 23-29 minutes on any given night since the beginning of February. Now without Marcin Gortat (foot) in the lineup, O'Neal has a chance to do some damage.

Jermaine O'Neal returned from a four-game absence due to his daughter having heart surgery and had six points, three rebounds, a steal and two blocks in 23 minutes of Wednesday's ugly loss to the Rockets.

The Suns were a disaster tonight and only Wes Johnson did much in the blowout. The good news is that O'Neal is back and he'll have a chance to pick up where he left off, when he was outplaying starter Marcin Gortat on a regular basis. There are no guarantees with O'Neal regarding his health or numbers, but if you're hurting a center, there's a decent chance he'll be worth owning in many leagues.

Jermaine O'Neal (personal) practiced on Tuesday and is expected to return on Wednesday.

Not only will O'Neal play, but he's likely to start immediately according to coach Lindsey Hunter. Hunter also added he'd "tinker" with the rotation at center, meaning the Morris twins are unlikely to be pressed into action in the middle. Before his personal leave, O'Neal had registered two double-double's in three games, including one game of 22 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. He's a good bet to see 25-30 minutes in a starting role on Wednesday.

Jermaine O'Neal (personal) has rejoined the Suns and will be available on Monday.

Phoenix plays four times this week, making O'Neal an intriguing option with Marcin Gortat (foot) likely done for the season. Give him a look if his averages from February interest you -- 11.4 points on 57.6 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

The Arizona Republic confirms Jermaine O'Neal (personal) won't be back with the Suns until Monday at the earliest.

The Republic does hint that O'Neal will quickly slide into the starting lineup, noting that he's the only true center left on the roster thanks to Marcin Gortat's foot injury. Still, it's unclear exactly how much burn the 34-year-old can handle at this point in his career. O'Neal will have been away from the team for a week, has a history of back/knee woes and hasn't played more than 27 minutes in a game all year. Regardless, he has very significant blocks and boards upside as a potential starter.

The heart surgery underwent by Jermaine O'Neal's 13-year-old daughter Wednesday was deemed successful.

Our best wishes go out to O'Neal and his family. Prior to leaving the Suns to be with his daughter, J.O. said he expected to miss three games. That would put him back on the court by Monday. With Marcin Gortat (foot) almost certainly done for the season, O'Neal projects to see a bump in minutes upon his return. Although he has an atrocious injury history, there's upside here for owners in need of blocks.

Marcin Gortat heard a "pop" in his foot on Wednesday night, leaving his season in jeopardy, dependent on what the results of an MRI turn up on Thursday.

If Gortat is done, or out for several weeks (which sounds likely), O'Neal would possibly take over the starting center duties once he's back from tending to his young daughter, who is having heart surgery. O'Neal could be ready to roll next week, and if so, he might make for a sneaky pickup for the rest of the season. Especially given how well he's played over the past month. Additionally, Luis Scola, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris should also see a boost in minutes if Gortat is shut down.

Jermaine O'Neal was telling teammates that he expects to miss three games with his daughter having heart surgery on Wednesday.

If O'Neal starts the three-game absence on Wednesday, he'll miss that game as well as Friday and Saturday, opening the door for Marcin Gortat to play heavy minutes. It's possible that O'Neal misses more than just three games, so owners relying on him recently should look for another option in the interim.

Jermaine O'Neal's daughter is expected to have heart surgery on Tuesday, leading us to believe he might miss Wednesday's game against the Raptors.

It's also possible he's in uniform for that one, but we just don't know at this point. And with three games this week, he looks like a shaky play in weekly formats. We haven't seen any reports stating he will miss Wednesday's game, but it seems like a reasonable expectation that he may not be ready to play. If he's out Markieff and Marcus Morris would see a boost off the bench, along with starters Marcin Gortat and Luis Scola.

Jermaine O'Neal played 28 minutes on his way to 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal on Friday.

Starter Marcin Gortat (two points, two boards) played just 20 minutes and while this isn't breaking down any doors, owners desperate for a big man that added O'Neal are probably okay with this result. We're not expecting Gortat to go away and he'll probably bounce back, but O'Neal has been doing just fine lately regardless of what Gortat is doing.

Jermaine O'Neal played 27 minutes in a win over the Spurs, shooting 8-of-14 from the field for 22 point with 13 boards and two blocks.

After the game Lindsey Hunter said he liked having Jermaine O'Neal playing in the low post to help create spacing for their shooters and it worked out nicely in a shocking road win. JO looks to be healthy for the first time this decade and he's worth a look in standard leagues as long as he's active.

Jermaine O'Neal came through with 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 26 minutes of Tuesday's win over the Timberwolves.

We have no idea how he's doing it, but O'Neal is came in averaging 10.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over his previous five games, and most of those numbers are going up after this one. His daughter will have heart surgery on March 5, but O'Neal has proven himself over the last two weeks. The question is, do you trust him enough to actually pick him up and put him in a lineup? Given how he's playing, we're leaning toward a 'yes' on that one, but we're also waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Jermaine O'Neal intends to return to Germany for another round of Orthokine therapy on both knees this summer, and he will prepare "as if he is returning next season."

J.O.'s health has improved but he's struggling with more dire issues off the court -- his 13-year-old daughter will have heart surgery in March, his grandmother had surgery last week, and his aunt died after suffering a stroke and an aneurysm. "I don't know if God's trying to tell me something," said O'Neal. "You finally get a healthy body and it's family, family, family and you don't really think as much about basketball."

Jermaine O'Neal's agent confirmed that his client will be staying with the Suns.

There was some talk that O'Neal and the Suns would reach a buyout in the wake of the Marcus Morris trade, but that's apparently not happening. He'll continue to serve as Marcin Gortat's backup.