MINNEAPOLIS -- Lakers star center Dwight Howard will not play in Friday's game against the Timberwolves and will return to Los Angeles to undergo the increasingly popular platelet-rich plasma therapy on his ailing right shoulder, the team announced.

Howard had aggravated the torn labrum in his right shoulder in the Lakers' loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

"Will the shot take all the pain away? That I don't know," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said before the Lakers tipped off against the Wolves on Friday. "But you can play right away (after it)."

Earlier at shootaround, D'Antoni said, "He said there was pain in there, so he'll play when there's no pain."

The team said that Dr. Steven Yoon will perform the procedure Saturday. The procedure consists of centrifuging the patient's blood to isolate platelets and growth factors. The mix is injected into the injured area to accelerate healing. There are mixed reports on the efficacy of the treatment.

After the procedure, Howard will rejoin the team in Detroit. The Lakers will then measure Howard's pain level upon his return and determine whether he can play Sunday against the Pistons based on that evaluation.

He is listed as day to day for that game and the remaining four games on the current trip.

The previous time Howard sat out because of the shoulder injury, he missed three games, and the Lakers went 0-3. D'Antoni wasn't sure when he would play.