MONTALBAN – There seems to be no end to the injury bug at Rain or Shine.
Leonard Santillan is the latest Elasto Painter to be forced to the sidelines after suffering a fractured right hand in practice prior to the start of the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup.
He’s expected to miss the first round of eliminations.
“One month ito,” said Santillan, who showed up with his right hand in a splint during RoS' stunning 131-108 loss to Blackwater on Saturday.
READ: Blackwater hands RoS a beating to open PBA Govs Cup campaign
“Hindi ako makakalaro until after na ng break,” he added, pertaining to the league’s elims schedule which will take a respite after August 14 to give way to the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers and the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
“So by October na siguro ako makakabalik,” Santillan continued. “Mabuti nga may break. At least totally mag-heal siya and makundisyon ako ulit 'pag naglaro na.”
Rain or Shine sick bay
Santillan said he sustained the injury after his middle finger badly hit the arm of Jhonard Clarito in one sequence during an Elasto Painters practice.
An MRI test later revealed the fractured finger.
“Buti na rin hindi naman hindi siya need ng surgery,” said the veteran forward out of La Salle. “Natural healing and total rest lang talaga.”
Santillan became the latest in an army of injured players for Rain or Shine that includes Felix Lemetti (partial ACL tear), Stanley Pringle (meniscus tear), Keith Datu (ruptured patellar tendon), and Jun Roque (ACL).
Roque and Datu had been declared out for the rest of the season.
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