Giants general manager Bobby Evans joined Gary & Larry on KNBR Thursday and laid out current plans for the return of injured players Joe Panik and Hunter Pence.
Evans said Joe Panik will ‘probably’ be returning to the lineup Thursday night in the series opener against the Washington Nationals.
Panik went on the DL in late June after being hit in the head by a pitch in the series against Tampa Bay and feeling concussion-like symptoms. At the time of the injury, Panik was hitting .256 with seven home runs and 36 RBI. He was a major key to the Giants’ strong June and recorded 18 hits over a 14-game stretch in which the Giants went 12-2.
The Giants have primarily used Grant Green and Ramiro Peña as Panik’s replacements. Both Green and Peña got off to hot starts, but have since began to sputter, seeing their averages drop substantially.
In his rehab stint with AAA Sacramento, Panik has gone 3-13 in four games.
Evans also mentioned outfielder Hunter Pence is ‘hopefully’ able to re-join the Giants this weekend. Pence went down with a hamstring injury requiring surgery in the beginning of June and led the team in home run and RBI at the time of the injury.
The Giants have platooned Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker to fill Pence’s position in right. Pence is hitting .450 with three home runs in his rehab stint with Triple-A Sacramento.
The Giants, who hold just a 2.5 game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West, hope Panik and Pence can help snap the team’s current skid.