Fajardo out with MCL injury

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer’s bid in the PBA Governors’ Cup took a huge blow after six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo was sidelined by a knee injury for possibly the rest of the conference.

Team manager Gee Abanilla reported that tests on Fajardo’s left knee revealed a grade 3 MCL (medial collateral ligament). The SMB ace sustained the injury in a collision with Ryukyu Golden Kings import Jack Cooley in SMB’s 96-68 loss in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Champions Week last March 2 in Japan.

“He will be out for about six weeks depending on how he responds to his rehab,” Abanilla told The STAR. “I really hope he recovers well.”

This means San Miguel can’t unleash “The Kraken” as they wage battle in the playoffs of the season-ending conference, which will run until the last week of April.

The injury may keep Fajardo out of the Gilas lineup for the Cambodia SEA Games in May, and could stymie his preparations for the FIBA World Cup in August.

Currently, the Beermen sit at third in the standings at 7-2 behind TNT’s 8-1 and Barangay Ginebra’s 8-2.

The Beermen are hunting a Top 4 seeding and twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals and will play fourth-running NLEX (7-3) tomorrow and Rain or Shine (2-8) on Friday in their elims windup.

Meanwhile, the PBA is poised to bring more games to the provinces following the success of its first All-Star Weekend festivities in three years in Passi, Iloilo.

Commissioner Willie Marcial announced that Passi, known as the “Sweet City at the Heart of Aklan,” will lead the out-of-town sorties for Season 48, alongside Bacolod City, which will host the next All-Star event.

“Pipiltin natin maging regular (out-of-town games) next season. Mga four or five official games,” Marcial said in a press briefing.

Prior to the Passi All-Star extravaganza, the pro league last played out of town in January 2020 for Game 2 of the 2019-20 Governors’ Cup finals in Lucena City.

Marcial said the PBA will return to Passi for an official match of the Philippine Cup likely in December.

By summer of 2024, the league’s brightest stars will descend to the “City of Smiles.”

The PBA honcho and Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez agreed to the All-Star hosting before the Passi edition wrapped up. The plan is to hold it by March or May.

“May bagong gym silang ginagawa (in Bacolod), matatapos eksakto sa All Stars,” said Marcial.