Less than one week before the season 9 premiere, “Dancing with the Stars” has its first casualty, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
The Texas politician, who was injured during a rehearsal with pro dance partner Cheryl Burke, posted a message to Twitter Tuesday that reads, “Old age is catching up to me. May have a stress fracture in my foot. No worries, it’ll take more than that to keep me off the dance floor.”
A “Dancing” rep confirms the injury to PEOPLE and says DeLay is currently having it examined in Los Angeles. Doctors will determine if he can continue on the show, which kicks off Monday, Sept. 21 on ABC.
In an update Tuesday afternoon, the former Congressman tweeted, “No stress fracture. It’s a pre-stress fracture. I live for another day.”
Because of injuries suffered by contestants in past seasons, the show implemented a cap of five hours per day of rehearsals for this season’s contestants.