By Mary Whitfill, editor-in-chief

For the rest of the season, Boston Celtics fans will miss seeing breakout star forward Jared Sullinger dominate opposing teams. The Celtics announced Sunday that a left metatarsal stress fracture will bench the Ohio native until at least next season.

The player first noticed discomfort after the team’s Feb. 11 win against the Atlanta Hawks and removed himself from practice. Ed Lacerte, the team’s trainer, took Sullinger for fracture-confirming tests on Thursday. With only 53 days remaining in the regular season, Celtics management opted to keep the forward off the court for the remainder of the season.

Not the only forward the Celtics have lost to injury this year, talented Kelly Olynyk, expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break, is still sidelined with a right ankle injury that has caused him to miss 12 straight games. Former Detroit Piston and Swedish national Jonas Jerebko, acquired by the Celtics on Saturday, hopes to fill out Boston up front in Sullinger’s absence.

Sullinger, 7, was drafted by the Celtics in 2012 and signed a rookie contract days later. After just 45 games in his rookie season, a back injury ended his first year with the team. His 2013-14 season saw Sullinger post a career-high 20 rebounds and 25 points against the Toronto Raptors, the first Celtic 20-20 game since Kevin Garnett’s in 2007. Sullinger was the Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award Winner in February of 2014.

With 14.4 points a and team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game, Sullinger emerged as one of Boston’s best players this season.

Not new to the role of star player, Sullinger also shined in his time at Ohio State University. In 2011 he was named both the Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player and Big Ten Freshman Of the Year. He was also named a First Team All-American by Fox Sports.

Photo courtesy hangdynasty, Creative Commons.