Heath Pearce has looked a shell of his former self for much of this season, and now we know why.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Pearce has been dealing with a hip injury for much of the current campaign and is expected to undergo surgery in the near future to repair the damage. The sources did not reveal when exactly Pearce sustained the knock but did say that the surgery would be season-ending.
READ: Lade expected to fill in for injured Pearce
A versatile veteran, Pearce has endured a frustrating 2013 season. He began the year as a starter but fell out of the lineup when head coach Mike Petke opted to go with Markus Holgersson at center back and Roy Miller at left back.
In total, Pearce started in 11 of the 14 games he played in this year. He had two assists in those appearances.
The Red Bulls had no comment when asked about Pearce's status. They host the Houston Dynamo on Sunday (2 pm ET; ESPN2, LIVE chat on MLSsoccer.com) in MLS regular-season play.
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by e-mail at Franco8813@gmail.com.
