Dr. Matt Provencher evaluates Christian McCaffrey's hamstring injury

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Christian McCaffrey has been shelved once again.

The multidimensional star running back went down with a hamstring injury in Carolina's Thursday night win over the Houston Texans, pulling up after darting towards the sideline on a misdirection handoff early in the second quarter.

McCaffrey immediately called for a substitution following the play and did not return for the remainder of the outing. The Panthers found life in the second half despite his absence, winning the matchup 24-9.

McCaffrey was diagnosed with a strained hamstring and is expected to miss at least a few games, as the Panthers' medical staff evaluates its severity.

According to FOX Sports' injury and performance analyst Dr. Matt Provencher, a hamstring injury is highly likely after a high ankle sprain, which McCaffrey suffered last season. 

He also forewarned that there's a high chance of aggravation to the injury.

"The data points show that when a running back suffers this injury, their productivity will be down about 14-19 percent the first three games back, and then will level off back to baseline. But keep in mind, McCaffrey has a high chance of re-injury to that same hamstring during this season."

The projected timetable for return, according to Provencher, is 1-6 weeks. 

This is a developing story.

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