INDIANAPOLIS – After Alexander Rossi was hospitalized and had procedures on his right ankle and a finger Monday, his availability for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 has not been confirmed. Three days ahead of the race, Rossi is waiting to be cleared to drive the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet this weekend.

Rossi will try to drive during the two-hour Carb Day practice Friday. If Rossi can’t drive, ECR has options to put in his seat, according to team owner Ed Carpenter, who will race in his 24th Indy 500 on Sunday.

“We do have some contingencies,” said Carpenter, who didn’t reveal who those options could be. “I think we should be finding out probably while I’m sitting here if he’s at least good to go for tomorrow.”

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ECR’s reserve driver, Hunter McElrea, has never driven an Indy car on an oval and has been in just one IndyCar race in his career. IndyCar would have to allow McElrea to do a rookie orientation program. Some of Rossi’s replacement options have more experience than McElrea, but many of them would have to do a refresher test.

Rossi is hoping to be ready to go for Sunday, as the 2016 Indy 500 champion has the best starting position of his Indy 500 career at second. If Rossi is subbed out, the No. 20 car will start at 31st on the grid, above only Caio Collet and Jack Harvey, whose cars failed tech inspections after qualifying.

“He’s been clearing all the hurdles that medical is looking for,” Carpenter said. “Hopefully we’ll have news sooner than later.”

Rossi is slated to speak to the media on Thursday afternoon.

Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Alexander Rossi crash: He’s ‘clearing all the hurdles’ for Indy 500