Suns' Bledsoe out for remainder of season after surgery on torn meniscus

Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe will miss the remainder of the 2015-16 season after undergoing surgery on the meniscus in his left knee, the team announced on Tuesday.

The Suns indicated that the goal is for Bledsoe to be ready for training camp next fall.

While initial reports regarding his estimated recovery time indicated the 26-year-old would be out approximately six weeks, a prolonged absence of the floor general will undoubtedly have strong implications on the franchise moving forward.

The 12-21 Suns have been mired in their fair share of struggles as of late: Head coach Jeff Hornacek continues to be on the hot seat despite two of his assistant coaches recently being fired, the ongoing Markieff Morris saga, and Phoenix's five-game losing streak could potentially continue to grow with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder as its next opponents.

This latest piece of bad news simply makes matters worse for a franchise currently three games out of a playoff position.

Bledsoe was having a career year - the Kentucky alumnus was leading his team in PER (21), points (20.4), assists (6.1), and steals per game (two) - adding insult to injury now that his less-than-desirable prognosis has been confirmed.

The injury occurred during Saturday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, as Bledsoe collided Robert Covington.

Bledsoe missed 33 games in the 2013-14 season after suffering a similar meniscus injury in his right knee.