The Oklahoma City Thunder’s period without center ends on Wednesday evening with the debut of seven-footer Isaiah Hartenstein.

Hartenstein will be active for Wednesday’s home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced about 30 minutes before tip-off. He was sidelined for the first 15 games of the season due to a broken left hand (shooting hand) suffered in the preseason finale.

The Thunder signed Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million contract in free agency this summer, with the intention of pairing him with Chet Holmgren so Oklahoma City can always have an excellent rim protector on the floor.

However, the Thunder haven’t had a starter taller than 6-foot-1 since Holmgren suffered a right iliac fracture in a hard fall during the Nov. 10 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Holmgren, runner-up Rookie of the Year last season, will miss at least eight to 10 weeks.

Reserve center Jaylin Williams has yet to play this season due to a hamstring injury that he initially suffered during training camp and recently aggravated.

The Thunder (11-4) have lost three of their past six games, a stretch that began the night Holmgren made a first-half stoppage against the Warriors.

The 26-year-old Hartenstein played a key role in the New York Knicks’ 50-win season last season, averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in a part-time starting role.