Overview
- He disclosed the setback Wednesday in a pre-Clash media session at Bowman Gray Stadium.
- He said he re-tore his right shoulder in an offseason fall while sifting through rubble at his parents’ house that burned in late December.
- Surgery is booked for the week after the 2026 season, a choice he made to avoid a recovery that could have kept him out for three to four months.
- He intends to race through the year while limiting activities and maintaining shoulder range and strength, noting the tear is less severe than his 2023 issue but still present.
- He described a difficult winter after his father’s death, his mother’s hospitalization, a settled antitrust trial, and the 2025 title loss, which he says has affected his preparation.