MANILA, Philippines – The struggling Meralco Bolts hope to inject some energy into their 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup campaign by signing free agent Chris Lutz.

The league announced Monday that Lutz, who has played for the San Miguel franchise for his entire career, has signed with Meralco after becoming an unrestricted free agent.

BREAKING: Meralco picks up Chris Lutz from San Miguel's Unrestricted Free Agent List (UFAWR2S list) #PBA2017 pic.twitter.com/172sFwn4Yl

— PBA (@pbaconnect) January 16, 2017

Lutz was the third overall pick of the 2011 PBA Rookie Draft. He last played in the 2016 Commissioner's Cup, but has since missed all of the Governors' Cup and San Miguel's first nine games of the All-Filipino Conference due to a nagging hip injury.

Meralco has struggled in the All-Filipino Cup after a breakthrough Finals appearance in the Governors' Cup last year. The Bolts have only two wins so far, and have lost six consecutive games to drop to the bottom of the league standings.

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