Denny Hamlin recently underwent surgery on his shoulder and came to the NASCAR Awards Ceremony wearing a sling.
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That had many wondering about how long the driver will need to recover, and if there is a possibility of him missing any time at the start of the 2024 season.
It was only believed to be a bone spur, but as it turns out, the injury was worse than previously thought.
Hamlin underwent a shoulder procedure of similar proportions after the 2019 season but recovered in time to avoid missing any races. And he uses his off seasons to improve his health for the next season.
Hamlin was asked by the media before Thursday night's Awards show about his recovery and if he could miss the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Denny Hamlin explains that his shoulder surgery was a little bit more intensive than initially planned. Sounds like he will be in a sling throughout the offseason. pic.twitter.com/zGylmGfuVy
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 30, 2023
Hamlin responded that he might not be recovered in time for the season-opening exhibition event.
"I'm a long, long way from where I need to be. I thought I was gonna have a three-four week recovery like I did before, and I came out knowing that I had a ton of damage that needed to be fixed," Hamlin said. "... Do we need to analyze The Clash? Maybe when the time comes. Because from what I've heard, they don't want me loading [my shoulder] for three months. Obviously that timeline does not line up for what I need.
"I find it hard to believe that I'll have more pain in late January than what I did at the end of October and November. Getting through those last five races was really, really hard," Hamlin continued. "I think that if I can get through that, then certainly I'll probably be able to challenge myself to get back in a car sooner than what they would want me to."
He never let the shoulder issue deter him during the 2023 season, as he once again reached the second-to-last race with a shot to reach the Championship Four. The title wasn't meant to be once again.
However, getting this injury taken care of is a big step towards getting back to compete for the crown once again in 2024.
