GILAS Pilipinas' worst fear has come true.
KAI Sotto has suffered a torn arterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the Koshigaya Alphas' loss to the Sea Horses Mikawa last weekend, his Japan B.League team announced.
The unfortunate news was confirmed days after the 7-foot-3 Gilas center flew to Tokyo to undergo an MRI on the left knee which he hurt in a non-contact incident on Sunday.
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"Might be the darkest day of my career," said the 22-year old former Ateneo high school star in a post on his Instagram account.
The diagnosis confirms the biggest injury setback Sotto has suffered in a professional career that until Saturday was on an upswing.
Before the injury, Sotto was enjoying a breakout season averaging 13.8 points on 52-percent shooting from the field, to go with 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 blocks in his first year at Koshigaya.
He's expected to sit out at least six months of action, meaning he will sit out the remainder of the 2025 B.League season and miss the February window of the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers where the Philippines will play Chinese Taipei and New Zealand on the road.
The ACL injury also makes Sotto highly doubtful for Gilas' campaign in the Asia Cup set in Saudi Arabia in August.
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