Photo by: Mikey Williams/ Top Rank

Lightweight contender Felix Verdejo is in stable condition and could return home from the hospital on Tuesday after he crashed his off-road motorcycle over the weekend and sustained lacerations on his head and face, Top Rank’s Gardy Lopez told RingTV.com on Monday.

The accident took place in the Northern Coastal Valley of Rio Grande in his native Puerto Rico on Sunday. Verdejo was taken to a medical center in the Rio Piedras neighborhood of San Juan, where he is currently in recovery, according to police. Verdejo (22-0, 15 KOs) is alert and speaking, Lopez said. The 23-year-old escaped the accident without suffering any bone injuries or internal bleeding or serious head injuries, such as a concussion, Lopez said.

“As of now he’s stable,” Lopez told RingTV.com in a phone interview. “He’s conscious. He’s reacting and talking to everyone he knows and the update we got this morning is that he’s recovering and he could be on his way to his home tomorrow. They’re going to leave him in the hospital one more day for observation and then they could send him home tomorrow.”

Lopez described the injuries as “minor” and said that Verdejo will be able to resume his boxing career, though it’s unknown when he will be well enough to return to the gym. Lopez said that only his mom has spoken to Verdejo so far among his friends and family.

“He’s stable and he’s conscious but at the same time he has some pretty rough cuts,” Lopez said. “So it’s not like he’s going to be walking out of the hospital and go straight to the gym. What we know so far is that maybe he could be to his house tomorrow but we don’t have any update of how long it will take to recover.”

Verdejo was riding his motocross bike when he tried to avoid a bump in the road and lost control, said Lopez, who described Verdejo as a casual motocross rider. “Hopefully he learns (a lesson) from this one,” Lopez said. “Too many examples of (accidents) with motorcycles and boxing. Maybe he learned from this one.”

Verdejo and Top Rank have been ordered by the WBO to begin negotiations with lightweight titleholder Terry Flanagan (31-0, 12 KOs) for a mandatory title shot that could land on the Manny Pacquiao Nov. 5 return in Las Vegas. Everything is on hold, according to Top Rank VP Carl Moretti until more is learned about Verdejo’s injuries. “Right now we’re concerned with his recovery,” Moretti said in a phone interview. “That’s all that matters right now.” Added Lopez, “When we know that he’s 100% well, then we talk boxing. The priority is for him to get well.”