MotoGP: Ben Spies Has Double Shoulder Surgery, Not Expected to Return in the Short-Term

Ben Spies has undergone surgery on both his shoulders in Dallas yesterday. The Ignite Pramac rider had surgery to fix the acromioclavicular joint in his left shoulder he dislocated in a practice crash at Indianapolis.

Spies also had a minor procedure already scheduled for his previously injured right shoulder, to clean out scar tissue, according to a report in US publication Cycle News. The Texan posted a picture of himself after surgery on his Twitter page, announcing his surgery, but no official word has come from Ducati or Pramac just yet.

The bad news for Spies was that after further examination, Spies’ left shoulder was found to have suffered a grade five separation, or 100% dislocation, rather than the grade three previously diagnosed.

The surgery was required to fix the clavicle in place to allow the joint to heal faster. Recovery from such surgery is generally between six and twelve weeks, meaning that the earliest Spies could return would be Aragon.

Spies’ enforced absence will mean even more missed races. So far, the Texan has competed in just two of the ten races completed so far, and if he makes his return at Aragon, he will have missed a total of eleven of thirteen races.

Though Spies is still under contract to Ducati for 2014, such an extended absence could cause Ducati to reevaluate the situation. Spies will be replaced by Pirro at the next three races.

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.