For the first time since June 27, Giants second baseman Joe Panik was back on the field, but not with the rest of his teammates in Boston against the Red Sox.
In Louisiana, against the New Orleans Zephyrs, Panik began his Triple-A rehab assignment with the Sacramento River Cats. He went 0-for-2 with a walk before being pulled after his planned five innings of work.
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Panik was hit by a pitch in the head on the June 18 against the Tampa Bay Rays. After keeping his concussion-like symptoms under wraps, the Giants finally placed him on the 7-day concussion DL on June 29.
[RELATED: Giants GM Evans: Panik 'as close to 100 percent as you can imagine']
He lined out to the shortstop in the top of the first inning and also lined out to right field in the top of the third for his two outs. Sacramento went on to win Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader, 1-0, in seven innings.
Hunter Pence, rehabbing his right hamstring with the River Cats, was a late scratch before the game.
San Francisco Giants
Giants GM Bobby Evans believes Panik won't need much time before joining the Giants. The 2015 All-Star is expected to be with the big league club during their interleague series at the tail end in Boston or to start off their series against the Yankees in New York.
"If everything still feels as good as it does now, and he's gotten through all of the protocol relative to the concussion symptoms, he could be activated maybe at the end of the Boston series, or by the time we get to New York," Evans said to KNBR Thursday morning.
Through 70 games this season, Panik is hitting .256 with seven home runs and 36 RBI.