Guard Dennis Schroder becomes 13th Boston Celtics player to participate in health and safety protocols this week

The Boston Celtics saw their 13th player join the NBA’s health and safety protocols in more than a week as the guard Dennis Schroder enters Saturday, a few hours before the team is set to play the Bucks at a Christmas Day festival in Milwaukee.

Schroder is one of the nine Celtics – along with the bodyguards Josh Richardson and CJ Miles, striker Justin Jackson, Sam Hauser, Grant Williams and Aaron Nesmith and centers Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando – who will be out for Saturday’s match due to health and safety procedures.

Other, center Al Horford, got rid of the protocols but still didn’t work when he boosted his condition after missing more than a week.

Five other Celtics players have problems, however – defender Brodric Thomas and forward Juancho Hernangomez and Jabari Parker due to protocols and protection Smart Marcus and Romeo Langford due to injury – was declared available, providing the team with 12 players for Saturday’s game.

Those 12 players include two forwards Al-Farouq Aminu and center back Norvel Pelle – who Boston signed earlier Saturday via a hardship waiver to fill the roster. The Celtics have now signed five players through a hardship waiver over the past week to stay afloat amid their growing number of COVID-19 cases.

Schroder, 28, is averaging 16.3 points and 4.7 assists per game in 29 games (including 18 starts) this season for Boston, entering Saturday’s game with a record. 16-16.