Joe Panik Placed on 10-Day DL with Thumb Injury

The San Francisco Giants placed second baseman Joe Panik on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with a sprained left thumb.

The 27-year-old infielder has been productive in parts of five MLB seasons thus far, but staying healthy has proved difficult.

After appearing in just 100 games in 2015 due primarily to a back injury, Panik missed some time in 2016 as well with a concussion. Panik was then limited to 138 games in 2017.

So far this season, Panik is hitting .267 with three home runs, five RBI and 11 runs in 23 games.

Panik was named to his first All-Star team in 2015 during a campaign that saw him hit .312 with eight home runs and 37 RBI. While his batting average dipped to just .239 in 2016, he set career marks with 10 homers, 62 RBI and 67 runs scored.

Panik largely rebounded last season by hitting .288 with 10 home runs, 53 RBI and 60 runs scored, and he was one of the lone bright spots for a Giants team that was miserable offensively.

He and shortstop Brandon Crawford have combined to create one of the most formidable defensive duos in baseball up the middle, and Panik's potential absence could hurt San Francisco significantly in that regard.

The Giants don't have another option at second base who brings the same all-around skill set, and utility man Kelby Tomlinson will likely be the biggest beneficiary in terms of playing time while Panik is on the shelf.

With the Giants lacking another proven option at second base, losing Panik is a blow they can ill afford to take.

Panik's absence takes away an important dimension due to his ability to get on base and his penchant for helping out his pitchers in the field, and it is a major setback for a Giants team that is hovering around the .500 mark this season at 12-13.