Image shows an intramedullary rod placed previously for a fracture, nothing out of the ordinary.
Yes, this seems like standard operating procedure. What I find interesting, is that his camp claims a fracture necessitated this. I see no evidence of a fracture on his tibia, where where the rod is placed. However, there's some evidence of a previous fracture of the fibula. It's possible that he broke both his fibula and the tibia, but I'm not convinced. That's not an injury you recover from and remain competitive.