Chock/Bates performances at Skate America looked like it was the first time they had ever skated those programs. Calling the programs "half-baked" is being generous.The fact that Evan seemed more out of shape than Maddy is what made me wonder whether injury/illness was a factor.
I think the fact that Chock and Bates did not do a Challenger Event (as they did last season) was an important clue.
As others have pointed out, that camp never talk about injuries/illnesses (until after the fact) but with Evan being this unprepared, it would seem logical that he has been dealing with something that's taken a bite out of his training time.