Portland Thorns forward Hayley Raso will be sidelined for the next 6-8 weeks as she recovers from a back injury.

Given the timeline, Raso is not expected to return to action before the end of the 2018 NWSL season.

According to the Thorns, Raso suffered a "non-displaced fracture of the transverse processes of L2, L3 and L4" Saturday in the second half of the club's 1-0 road win over the Washington Spirit.

The 23-year-old will conduct her rehabilitation with the Thorns' sports medicine staff at Providence Park and at the Providence Sports Care Center.

Losing Raso will be a major blow for the Thorns as they head into the final game of the regular season and move on to playoffs.

Raso missed a significant amount of time this year while recovering from a knee injury, but has been critical to the Thorns since returning to full health. The Australian forward has made 12 appearances (nine starts) this season, recording two goals and two assists.

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg