Joel Embiid to miss matchup vs. Magic due to injury management, Dominick Barlow to undergo procedure

It took two games for a Joel Embiid injury update, but this one doesn’t seem too serious.

The Sixers released their injury report ahead of their upcoming matchup against the Orlando Magic on Monday, and Embiid appeared on it for the first time this season. He’s been ruled out for that game, with the listed reason being “injury management.” Dominick Barlow, who left the win over over the Hornets with an elbow laceration, has also been ruled out along with Paul George, Trendon Watford and Jared McCain.

It’s not a surprise at all to see Embiid ruled out for a game that is the first leg of a back-to-back, but it’s a bit different to see him ruled out for the home game of that set. The Sixers will head down to Washington to take on the Wizards the following day. Embiid has almost always played the home game when faced with such a choice.

The most likely reason for the decision is for Embiid to get an extra day off between games. Having two days off between games instead one could make a difference in his ability to recover.

It’s also possible that the Sixers are picking the easier matchup as Embiid is trying to play himself into shape. No one would argue that Orlando’s group of bigs, led by Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr., pose a much more physical and challenging matchup than the young group of the Wizards.

Or maybe Embiid’s knee isn’t feeling great after two games of action and he’ll miss both of these upcoming games. The injury management designation does throw cold water on that, but that’ll be a fear for Embiid until his body is able to prove otherwise. That answer is still a couple days away before that injury report is due for the Sixers, unless Nick Nurse sheds some light on Embiid’s status before Monday night’s game.

Update: 10/26/25, 6:59 p.m ET

Not too long after the injury report was released, the Sixers gave an update that provided further detail on Dominick Barlow’s situation. He was ruled out of the home opener win vs Charlotte at halftime with an elbow laceration. The team has announced that he will go undergo a procedure for that elbow injury, and will be out at least the next two games.

The timing is definitely a bummer for Barlow. This is a guy on a two-way contract who not only earned his way into a rotation, but into the Sixers’ starting lineup. It doesn’t sound like this injury and subsequent procedure is too big of a deal. The reevaluation coming later in the week is a fairly positive sign. Regardless, no one around this team right now wants to see a notification that says “medical update.”