The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed center Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury, as announced on Sunday.

Malkin has been absent for four games, missing the latest match against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Previously, he was a late scratch for Tuesday’s home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, having participated in the morning skate but not appearing for pregame warmups.

Head coach Mike Sullivan explained that Malkin’s move to injured reserve was a procedural step necessary to enable the activation of forward Philip Tomasino from the same list. Malkin’s status was described by Sullivan as day-to-day.

Before his injury, Malkin enjoyed a remarkable streak of 209 consecutive games played, which ranks as the 12th-longest in the franchise’s history. During the current period without him, the Penguins have a record of 1-1-1. Malkin is a two-time scoring champion and was awarded the Hart Trophy in 2012.

Earlier in the season, Malkin achieved significant career milestones, recording his 500th goal and reaching 1,300 points in the NHL. This year, he has tallied eight goals and 24 assists over the course of 41 games played.

In addition to the news about Malkin, Sullivan also reported an incident involving Malkin’s linemate, Michael Bunting. Bunting was involved in a car accident outside PPG Paints Arena prior to the game against Tampa Bay. Fortunately, Sullivan confirmed that Bunting is alright; however, he did not participate in the game. This season, Bunting has contributed 13 goals and 12 assists in 43 games.