The San Francisco Giants scratched second baseman Joe Panik from the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Oakland Athletics, and on Wednesday, they placed him on the seven-day concussion disabled list.
Continue for updates.
Giants Make Roster Move After Placing Panik on DL
Wednesday, June 29
With Panik unavailable for the next seven games, the Giants recalled Ruben Tejada, according to Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area.
Panik Suffering from Concussion-Like Symptoms
Tuesday, June 28
On June 18, Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore hit Panik in the head with a pitch:
According to CSN Bay Area’s Amy Gutierrez, the Giants evaluated Panik for signs of a potential concussion for three days following the hit by pitch. Although he didn’t initially show any markers indicating he had suffered a concussion, he started showing symptoms Tuesday.
Panik Has Played Key Role in Successful Season For Giants
The 25-year-old Panik is a key player for the Giants, as he has put up seven home runs, 36 runs batted in and a .256/.321/.407 slash line thus far in 2016.
His health has been an issue at times, though, as he missed action earlier in the season with a pulled right groin.
He made the National League All-Star team for the first time in his career last season, and he finished the campaign with a batting average of .312 to go along with eight home runs, 37 RBI and 59 runs scored in just 100 games played.
Panik burst onto the scene in 2014 by hitting .305 in 73 regular-season games before serving as the Giants’ starting second baseman during their run to a third World Series title in five years. He has built upon that momentum ever since, although injuries have been somewhat of a concern.
The bulk of the 62 games Panik missed last year were because of a vertebrae fracture in his back, but he was healed in time for spring training and gained an even greater appreciation for the game because of what he went through in 2015, per MLB.com’s Chris Haft:
Just being able to get back out on the field again, put on the spikes and get out there with the guys again is a good feeling. Being on the disabled list last year, the way everything happened, was a different experience for me. I’m learning not to take the game for granted. Because anything can happen at any time; it doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, things can happen.
Along with shortstop Brandon Crawford, the Giants boast perhaps the most productive all-around middle infield in the majors. Both players excel at the plate and in the field, and they were each rewarded with deserved All-Star nods.
Manager Bruce Bochy has also taken notice of the young second baseman’s continued development. In fact, he compared him to one of the Giants’ best and most consistent players—catcher Buster Posey—with regard to his plate discipline, according to Pavlovic:
“He reminds me of Buster,” Bochy said. “He’s got a calmness about him. You see him take pitches, and he’s got a plan there, but if they make a mistake, he’s ready for it.”
Panik plays like a wily veteran despite being just 25 years of age, and that is a big part of what makes him such a valuable contributor to a winning cause in San Francisco.
Potentially losing him is made even more devastating by the fact that the Giants don’t have much in terms of depth at the middle infield spots, which means they may ask Ramiro Pena to step up.
Panik is unquestionably among the best second basemen in the National League, and the former first-round pick’s emergence has arguably made the Giants an even more well-rounded team than they were during their previous championship runs.
That is why they can’t afford to be without him for an extended period of time. He brings so much to the table that a lengthy absence could do serious damage to San Francisco’s playoff aspirations.
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