June Mar Fajardo admitted that a small tear was found on his injured calf, which he continues to nurse in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals.
But according to Fajardo, it’s not that big of a concern — enough for him to still suit up and play for San Miguel in their best-of-seven semifinal series against Barangay Ginebra.
“May parang cramping, tapos konting tear,” the eight-time MVP revealed to reporters, sharing the results of his recent ultrasound.
Fajardo sustained the injury during their series opener last Wednesday, prompting the Beermen to adopt a cautious approach in managing his condition.
The coaching staff has been trying to limit his minutes to avoid aggravating the injury, but they were forced to extend his playing time in Game 3.
After logging just 17 minutes in Game 2, the 35-year-old center played 27 minutes in Game 3. He finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Unfortunately, his effort wasn’t enough as San Miguel suffered a 100-90 loss and now trails 1-2 in the best-of-seven series.
“Disappointed kasi talo kami,” lamented Fajardo, who shot 4-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line. “Bawi na lang kami, mahaba pa naman ‘yung series.”
Still, the calf issue lingers at the back of his mind, since he wants to prevent the injury from worsening.
“Sana ‘wag,” he said before crossing himself after being asked if playing through it could get as risky as the fate suffered by NBA star Tyrese Haliburton.
For now, he’s only thinking of the two days of rest before Game 4 on Wednesday as he plans to maximize his time to recover.
“Okay naman, okay naman. Tight nang kaunti, pero hindi na masyadong masakit,” he said. “May pahinga naman kami bukas, two days.”
#WATCH: “OKAY NAMAN”
June Mar Fajardo says he’s feeling fine despite logging extended minutes in Game 3 of the #PBA2025 semifinals 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times#PBA2025 pic.twitter.com/ohqI0eBOkw
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) June 29, 2025
