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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Big men Aguilar, Santillan to miss games for respective teams

Big men Aguilar, Santillan to miss games for respective teams

Published Sep 29, 2025 01:35 pm

At A Glance

  • Aguilar, according to Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone, underwent surgery to repair a nagging finger injury while Santillan sustained an MCL injury during Rain or Shine's tuneup game against Meralco in Isabela.
Premiere big men Japeth Aguilar and Leonard Santillan are expected to miss some games for their respective teams at the start of the PBA 50th Season.
Aguilar, according to Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone, underwent surgery to repair a nagging finger injury while Santillan sustained an MCL injury during Rain or Shine’s tuneup game against Meralco in Isabela.
“It’s going all right, he’s doing well. But he’s not doing basketball activities yet, he can’t handle the ball yet. So he'll probably be out, probably our first game, maybe our second, and we’ll play it game by game after that,” Cone said of Aguilar.
Cone added that the injury had long troubled the 38-year-old forward, and they saw the off-season as the only opportunity for him to undergo surgery.
Aguilar actually had the chance to have the operation immediately after the Philippine Cup, which would have allowed him to avoid missing any games in the upcoming season.
However, the veteran forward chose to postpone the surgery in order to join Cone and Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup.
There is currently no timetable for Aguilar’s return, Cone revealed.
Santillan, meanwhile, is expected to miss the Elasto Painters’ first couple of games as he needs about three weeks to recover from an MCL injury.
Although the injury is not serious and doesn’t require surgery, it is still a setback for Rain or Shine, which bolstered its roster in the off-season with the addition of Stanley Pringle and the return of Beau Belga.
“May kaunting setback lang kami kay Santi, Iyong last game namin against Meralco sa Isabela nagkaroon siya ng mcl tear,“ said Guiao.
“It is not serious but baka hindi siya umabot sa opening day but I think after two or three games makakalaro na siya,“ he added.
Also still recovering from a grade 3 ankle injury is CJ Perez of San Miguel.
Beermen head coach Leo Austria is expecting Perez to be available in the first few games of SMB, albeit in reduced capacity. Perez sustained the injury during the national teams campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup.
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