Fajardo rues timing of injury

San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo watches behind the Beermen’s bench as his team plays against NLEX in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Fate couldn’t have dealt June Mar Fajardo a worse card than this.

After knowing better not to involve himself in the brawl against Australia in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Fajardo was a virtual lock for the next window in the competition.

Fajardo was just one of the four players that weren’t given Fiba suspensions—the other three were Gabe Norwood, Baser Amer, and Allein Maliksi—but fate intervened and handed the amiable giant a fracture in his right shin.

The injury would leave Fajardo out of action for two months, effectively erasing any hope that he would play against Iran and Qatar, and the reigning four-time PBA MVP is nowhere near happy of his current predicament.

“It’s very unfortunate because this is fourth window and I won’t be able to play,” said Fajardo in Filipino Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Of course, I will miss playing and I’ll be out of the window but I won’t be able to do anything about it because I can’t force any movement on it and that’s the advise of the doctor.”

Fajardo walked out of the Big Dome with a big boot encasing his right foot just minutes after San Miguel beat NLEX, 125-112, in its first game in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

The 6-foot-10 center said his injury started way back in the Philippine Cup but the fracture did not manifest immediately and it was after the wear and tear in the Commissioner’s Cup that it fully developed.

“There’s a crack on the bone so the shin has to be rested, no activities whatsoever and during the first week I just hung out in my bed room only leaving to eat,” said Fajardo, who has started to do core exercises.