Jared Spurgeon won’t travel with the team when it leaves for Columbus on Friday and is likely to miss at least the next several games because of a setback, albeit typical, in his recovery from a pair of surgeries that ended his 2023-24 season early.

“I guess I could categorize (it as) just part of the healing process,” general manager Bill Guerin said during the Wild’s outdoor practice Thursday in St. Louis Park. “We’ll know more as we go along. He won’t be with us for the start of the second half of this trip.”

Spurgeon, 34, was limited to 16 games last season because of injuries. In February, he had season-ending surgery on his left hip on Feb. 6, and had surgery on his back roughly four weeks later.

The Wild worked him back into training camp slowly this fall. He didn’t scrimmage early, and didn’t play in a preseason game until the last two of six. But he played only two regular season games before being sidelined last week.

Guerin and head coach John Hynes said there is no new injury, and Guerin declined to say whether his setback was related to his hip or back surgery. Spurgeon was at Thursday’s practice but didn’t participate.

“Today’s news is really good, and talking with Spurge, he looks good and sounds good,” said Hynes, adding that he hopes Spurgeon could return at sometime during this road trip, which starts Saturday against the Blue Jackets, then moves on to games against Tampa Bay, Florida, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

“Hopefully that’s the plan that’s gonna come through,” the coach said.

Guerin, who had surgeries to relieve blood buildup in a thigh bruise and to repair an orbital bone during a 22-year playing career, was asked if there is concern Spurgeon’s recovery might take longer than the team initially hoped.

“Always concerned when players have injuries, when players have surgeries,” he said. “And you know what? Sometimes you just have to be patient; it takes time for the body to heal.”

The Wild got Joel Eriksson Ek back in practice for the first time since he had his nose broken by an Adam Lowry elbow in last Saturday’s 5-4 shootout loss to Seattle. The team’s top center missed two games and had surgery to repair the nose on Monday.

He practiced Thursday wearing a full bubble shield, a first for him since he played on Under-18 teams in his native Sweden. He played one shift after the injury on Saturday before leaving for good.

“Couldn’t really get the bleeding to stop,” he said. “Couldn’t really see because there’s so much blood in the bubble, and breathing was too tough.”

Eriksson Ek said he thought the incident — Lowry elbowed him in the face on a backcheck — was a normal hockey play and that he doesn’t plan on getting into a fracas anytime soon before adding, “Once you get out there and it’s competitive, that side usually takes over.”

Briefly

Marcus Johansson, who missed Tuesday’s 4-1 victory at St. Louis with a lower body injury, went through a full practice on Thursday and is expected to be available on Saturday. The Wild practice Friday at TRIA Rink before leaving. … Guerin said the Wild will recall a defenseman for Columbus. It likely will be Daemon Hunt, who played Tuesday before being reassigned to Iowa on Wednesday. “I was happy with him,” Hynes said. “I like where he’s at in his game.”

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