D.C. United defender Brendan Hines-Ike is out for the remainder of the 2022 MLS season after undergoing foot surgery on Aug. 11, the club announced Friday.
Hines-Ike is expected to be sidelined for up to six months after the operation helped repair a Lisfranc injury (mid-foot sprain). The timeline (as few as 4.5 months) should see him be healthy for the 2023 campaign.
The 27-year-old was second in minutes played (1,685) on the Black-and-Red this year. He only trails fellow center back Steve Birnbaum.
Hines-Ike spent the 2021 MLS season on loan with D.C. United from Belgian top-flight side KV Kortrijk before getting signed to a permanent move in January. Heās notched one goal and one assist in 33 games (32 starts) for the club.
D.C. now have two starting-level defenders out long-term after left back Brad Smith tore his ACL in early July.
They're the Eastern Conference's last-place team, with 11 games remaining for new head coach Wayne Rooney's group to make up an eight-point gap in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs race.
