A Calf Strain is Expected to Keep Moses Moody Out for the Rest of the 2025 Preseason

It’s that time of year again for Moses Moody and the Golden State Warriors. The NBA preseason is winding down, and the air crackles with the nervous energy of final roster cuts, last-minute tune-ups, and the collective breath-holding of fans and front offices alike, praying their stars make it to opening night unscathed. For the Golden State Warriors, that familiar anxiety just became a little more real.

The news dropped Sunday evening, just before the Warriors were set to clash with their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn’t a bombshell, not the kind of season-altering catastrophe that sends shockwaves through the league. But it was a gut punch nonetheless: Moses Moody, the tough-as-nails guard who had clawed his way into a vital role, was sidelined.

A left calf strain, the team called it. It’s a phrase that can mean anything from a minor tweak to a lingering problem. Head coach Steve Kerr, ever the steady hand, played it cool. “We’ll re-evaluate in a week or so,” he told the media, his expression calm. “We’re not too concerned about it. We’re just being careful.”

Careful is the operative word. In the marathon that is an 82-game season, a preseason injury to a key rotation player is a fire you stamp out with caution, not panic. Moody, who had started the first two exhibition games, will now miss the final three. The hope, the prayer whispered throughout the Chase Center, is that he’ll be laced up and ready for the real deal on October 21st, when the Lakers return for a game that actually counts.

This isn’t just about losing a body on the bench; it’s about the disruption to a player who was hitting his stride. Moses Moody is a fighter. He’s the kind of guy who turns a 14th overall pick into a story of grit and relentless improvement. Last season, he solidified his place, posting respectable numbers—9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds—but his value transcends the box score. He’s a defensive pest, a capable floor-spacer, and he brings a blue-collar work ethic that every championship-caliber team needs. His absence, however brief, is a void.

A Familiar Foe: The Nagging Calf Injury

For Moses Moody, this is an unwelcome return of an old ghost. He’s dealt with calf issues before, dating back to the 2023-24 season. While he proved reliable last year, the recurrence of this specific injury is enough to cause a collective wince from the Warriors’ faithful. The team ordered an MRI, which Kerr described as “precautionary,” but any time a player with a history of a specific ailment heads for the tube, a degree of concern is warranted.

The Warriors’ front office, however, planned for this. The offseason was about building a fortress, not just a starting five. Re-signing Jonathan Kuminga and adding depth was a direct strategy to weather storms like these. It’s a luxury that allows the team to breathe, to give a player like Moses Moody the time he truly needs to heal without the pressure of a desperate team rushing him back. It’s the smart play, the championship play. You don’t win titles in October, but you can certainly jeopardize them.