Another Miami Dolphins running back is out. Where things stand at a tumultuous position

Already dealing with injuries that sidelined two running backs last weekend, the Miami Dolphins now find themselves without a third player at the position.

While Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed work their way back from injuries, De’Andre Washington has now been sidelined for an undetermined period with a hamstring injury. Washington did not practice Wednesday.

Gaskin — the former starter who has missed the past four games with an MCL injury — was at practice Wednesday but hasn’t been activated off injured reserve, and Brian Flores suggested he was unsure about his status for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati.

Gaskin wore a compression sleeve on his left leg during the part of practice open to reporters.

Ahmed — who ran for 166 yards on 4.2 per carry over three consecutive games last month — practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday because he’s still nursing a shoulder injury that sidelined him last week.

For now, Matt Breida and Patrick Laird are Miami’s only healthy running backs.

Breida, acquired on the third day of the draft from San Francisco for a fifth-round pick, entered this season having averaged 5.0 yards per carry over the previous three seasons, which ranked third-best in the NFL over that stretch, behind only Nick Chubb (5.08) and Aaron Jones (5.02).

But Breida has averaged only 3.6 per carry this season — partly a byproduct of erratic run-blocking — with 47 carries for 168 yards. The Dolphins replaced him with Washington for a couple of series after Breida lost a fumble against the Jets. Laird also fumbled during the Jets game.

Asked if he and Flores have a policy of removing players who fumble in the next series, running backs coach Eric Studesville said this week:

“No, not one that we’ve talked about. Matt got carries later in the game even. But DeAndre went in the next series and he was playing well. That’s why we kind of went with the hot hand.”

As for Gaskin, whether he will be activated for Sunday’s game “would depend on what he shows in practice,” Flores said. “When you’re out a few weeks, there’s a conditioning element ... a physical element. To think he can walk back in and he’s the same guy, normally it takes a few weeks until hopefully he’s back to where he was. I hope a guy like Myles could get right back to form quickly, but I don’t think there’s any assumptions it’ll be that way.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ Guard Solomon Kindley returned to practice, on a limited basis, after missing Sunday’s game with a foot injury that has bothered him all season but has sidelined him only one game.

Asked by Cincinnati media about the Dolphins’ rookie offensive linemen, Flores said: “We really like all three guys [Kindley and tackles Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt]. They’re young, they’re talented, they compete, and I think they’ve gotten better over the course of the year.”

▪ Receiver Malcolm Perry did not practice because of a chest injury sustained during Sunday’s game.

Perry has emerged as Miami’s most-used slot receiver since Isaiah Ford was traded to New England.

Flores didn’t seem too concerned about filling the slot position, per se, noting: “You can put a running back there, you can put a tight end there, you can put a receiver there. For us, you’ve seen DeVante Parker in there, you’ve seen Jakeem Grant in there, you’ve seen Malcolm Perry in there, you’ve seen a number of different players there — Mike Gesicki, running backs.”

Antonio Calloway and Lynn Bowden Jr. also are options if Perry cannot play on Sunday.

Meanwhile, receiver Preston Williams remains out with a foot injury — he isn’t ready to practice and remains on injured reserve — and there’s no assurance he will play again this season.

▪ The Dolphins’ defensive approach — which varies coverages and blitzes more than some teams — requires a lot of studying, and Flores on Wednesday expressed appreciation that his players have been willing to put in the time to master it.

“We want to give our opponents different looks and apply pressure in different ways,” he said. “Our players work hard to try to get that accomplished. It’s not always perfect but they work hard at it and I appreciate them for working hard at it.”

▪ The Dolphins promoted undrafted rookie defensive tackle Benito Jones to their 53-man roster from the practice squad; he has appeared in four games this season in accordance with a new NFL rule that allows teams to “elevate” players from the practice squad without them counting on the 53.

Also, Miami signed Akeem King to their practice squad, giving them a veteran cornerback to protect them should any of the five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster need to miss a game.

King, who was drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round out of San Jose State in 2015, has appeared in 34 games and started four for Atlanta and Seattle from 2015 to 2019. He started three games for Seattle last season.

King, 6-1, joins rookie corners Javaris Davis and Tino Ellis on the practice squad. The Dolphins released cornerback Tae Hayes from their practice squad last week.