Boy, Heath Pearce sure deteriorated from an all-star to an also-ran in a hurry, didn't he? Apparently, there might be a reason.

Pearce has been bothered by a hip injury for the past two years, reports SoccerByIves. A decision has been made to have surgery, which will bench Pearce for six months.

Apparently, the decision was made by Pearce, not the team. "Heath Pearce decided to have the surgery and we support his decision," Mike Petke told MLSsoccer.com. "There's nothing gone into it from us or anything. He took it upon himself and decided to have surgery, so we're not going to stand in his way. It's his body, he knows how he feels."

Pearce will be a free agent at the end of this season. A portion of his 2013 salary is being paid by Chivas USA.