MotoGP->ke2192 rider Dani Pedrosa’s->ke1458 recovery from arm pump surgery is progressing quite nicely, leading to speculation that the Spanish racer could be close to making a return to top-flight motorcycle racing.

In his official Repsol blog, Pedrosa wrote that his recovery is on schedule as doctors have removed the stitches used to suture his surgery and that his arm is back to its normal size. More importantly, Pedrosa said he has regained full mobility of his hand and elbow, adding even more optimism to his impending return to MotoGP.

There are still a handful of issues that need to be addressed, not the least of which is getting the blessing of Dr. Angel Villamor, who performed the surgery on Pedrosa. One issue, in particular, is to get Pedrosa’s arm strong enough for him to resume his racing career. Once Dr. Villamor deems that the rider is fit for competition, he’s going to allow Dani to get back on the saddle.

News of Pedrosa’s recovery has also gotten a lot of people’s attention, including HRC boss Livio Suppo, who welcomed the encouraging news as a sign that his rider would be able to race again at some point in the future. That said, Suppo also expressed caution and restraint in saying when Pedrosa can get back to racing in MotoGP. Evidently, the team boss isn’t willing to rush his rider back to the team until he has fully recovered from his injuries.

It’s still unclear if this recovery timetable will extend past the Jerez de la Frontera race on May 3, 2015. But like what Suppo said, making a successful return to MotoGP isn’t as important as making sure that Pedrosa gets a clean bill of health before getting back on the saddle.

Continue reading to read more about Dani Pedrosa's future in racing.

Why it matters

It's obviously great to hear from Dani Pedrosa as his recovery from arm pump surgery continues. It’s a dramatic turn-around from questions on whether he would be able to race again so to read that he’s in good spirits and is aching to return to racing is a win in it of itself.

But as much as I want to see Pedrosa back in MotoGP, I have to agree with the words of caution coming from Dr. Villamor and HRC boss Livio Suppo. The latter, in particular, made a great point when he said that he’s not going to compromise Pedrosa’s long-term health for the sake of improving its results in the wake of massive inconsistencies plaguing the team right now.

Lord knows, Repsol Honda needs Pedrosa back because his replacement, Hiroshi Aoyama, has yet to score a single championship point in the two races he’s filled in for the injured Spaniard. But I only want to see him return if his arm is fully recovered from the surgery. Anything less than that is a deal-breaker.

Pedrosa is scheduled to compete in a supermoto race next week ahead of the Spanish GP on May 3, 2015. His participation in that race isn’t so much for competitive purposes but more to do with getting him re-acclimated to motorcycle racing. If that race proves to be successful, then there’s a good chance that we see Pedrosa back at the Spanish GP, which would be right on schedule based on his initial recovery timetable.

Best of luck to Dani Pedrosa on his rehab. Here's to hoping we see you in Spain next week.