MATT Lauer will be out of commission at least until Thursday following a bike accident over the weekend on Long Island.

The “Today” host was conspicuously absent from his duties yesterday, as co-host Meredith Vieira explained to viewers, “He had a run-in with a deer.”

A helmet-wearing Lauer was riding downhill, when the deer jumped in front of him. When he hit the brakes to avoid colliding with the animal, the TV host “went over the handlebars,” Vieira said separating his shoulder when he hit the ground.

Vieira told viewers that Lauer’s sense of humor wasn’t affected by the injury.

He said in an e-mail that he “thinks the deer was hired by the competition.” Vieira joked that she actually hired the deer, “but I said just graze him, don’t do anything big.”

Lauer’s separated shoulder which is more severe than a dislocated shoulder and a common injury for people who fall on an outstretched arm required surgery to repair the acromioclavicular joint (the “AC joint”) on the top of his shoulder yesterday.

Because it is typically an out-patient operation, Lauer’s recovery time is expected to be short. A spokesman for the show said he will likely resume his hosting duties late this week.

In the meantime, “Weekend Today” host Lester Holt is filling in.

Lauer, 51, is an avid cyclist, who has been filmed riding his bike in various exotic locations, including around the Olympic velodrome in Beijing and in the Netherlands, during his “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” segments.