Wizards' Beal eyeing weekend return following right fibula injury

The Washington Wizards may not have to go too much longer without their leading scorer in the lineup.

Bradley Beal, who has been out of action for the last 16 games with a stress fracture in his right fibula, told reporters Monday that he hopes to be back in uniform for either Friday's outing against the Indiana Pacers or Saturday's game against the Boston Celtics, according to the Washington Post's Jorge Castillo.

Beal has dealt with the same injury every season since being drafted third overall in 2012, missing 73 games over his four-year career.

Related: Wizards reeling from injuries

The Wizards will return to the nation's capital on Wednesday, following a successful two-game road trip which featured victories over the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls. It's then that Beal - who traveled with the team during the trip - will begin taking part in contact activity, which should provide a better indication as to when he'll be able to play.

In 17 appearances, Beal is averaging 19.8 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent from deep, along with 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 36.5 minutes. Washington is 10-9 in games he's missed.

"For us, we got to start getting some confidence, building some of these wins and then eventually we're going to need Brad back," Wizards forward Jared Dudley said. "Brad takes us to a whole other level. He's an elite scorer on our team."

Washington has actually fared better without Beal on the floor, producing a plus-0.3 net rating when he doesn't play in comparison to a minus-7.1 when he does.