Blatche held out of Gilas practice due to injury

Coach Tab Baldwin talking to naturalized player Andray Blatche.

Health issues continue to cloud over Gilas Pilipinas in the early stages of its training for the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship in China next month.

After June Mar Fajardo and LA Tenorio had begged off from the national team pool due to health reasons and Kelly Williams went down with an MCL injury during Gilas’ first official practice last week, naturalized center Andray Blatche was the latest to get hit by an injury.

Blatche was reduced to a spectator during Gilas’ practice Monday night at Meralco Gym and Baldwin later revealed that the former NBA veteran is in pain.

“We’re not sure,” said Baldwin on what exactly Blatche’s injury. “He’s got some pain in his lower stomach, upper groin area. We’ve got to get him checked and see what it is.”

“But it’s nagging him and he can’t really extend when he’s running.”

The 6-foot-11 Blatche, who vowed to get back in game shape within this month after showing up in last week’s practice overweight, was in basketball attire but Baldwin opted not to take any chances with the ex-Brooklyn Net not a hundred percent and the extent of his injury still yet to be determined.

“So because we don’t know what it is, I don’t want to aggravate it any further so I told him to stay out of practice.”