UPDATE: Joe Panik's season is now officially over.
Williamson and Brown called up. Panik placed on 60-day DL, his season is over. Daniel Carbonell DFA'd.
— Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) September 16, 2015
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The San Francisco Giants are seven games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild-card spot and some devastating news will further hurt their chances of catching up to them. In Minnesota, the Twins are in the midst of a tight wild-card race and hope to get back their closer.
Unfortunately for the Giants, it appears as if they'll miss the postseason the year after winning the World Series for the third consecutive time. Second baseman Joe Panik and outfielder Hunter Pence, both of whom have been dealing with injuries this year, likely won't return to action before the end of the season.
Panik, 24, has been dealing with a lower back issue and has missed over a month of action as a result. He hasn't played since Sept. 9 and manager Bruce Bochy said yesterday the second baseman's status for the remainder of the season is in doubt.
"The odds lean more toward the season being over for him," Bochy told Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. "I talked to him yesterday. He didn't really feel a lot of improvement. He's going to need some rest. I would be surprised if he plays, unless things work out really, really well and we get to October."
Panik aggravated his back injury last week against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's batting .312/.378/.455 with 59 runs scored, 8 home runs and 37 RBIs in 100 games this season.
Similarly, Pence may not return this year either. The veteran outfielder has dealt with a nightmarish season due to various injuries. He started the year on the disabled list due to a broken forearm and missed the first six weeks of the 2015 season. He then began dealing with tendinitis in his left wrist, which kept him out for another month.
Now his latest oblique injury could end his year. The 32-year-old has been out since Aug. 17 with the ailment and has yet to even start taking live batting practice.
"It may get to the point where we may feel it's not worth the risk," Bochy told Pavlovic. "I don't mean to be negative, but we have to be smart about this.
"I know you're going to go to Hunter and talk to him and he'll say, 'Whoa, wait a minute,' holding his hands up. But we'll see how the progress goes."
Pence has played in only 52 games this season after playing in all 162 the previous two seasons.
In the American League, the Twins sit just one game behind the Texas Rangers for the second wild-card spot. They hope to get the closer back at full strength this weekend.
Glen Perkins has been dealing with neck and back ailments since mid-August and has not pitched since Sept. 1. The veteran owns a 2.68 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 32 saves and 46 strikeouts in 52 games (50 1/3 innings).
On Monday Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reported that Perkins could return to the lineup on Friday, assuming his Wednesday bullpen session goes well. The right-hander threw a 31-pitch bullpen session yesterday.
"For me, (the goal is) Friday, be ready to go Friday," Perkins told Jace Frederick of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I just need one day to get my bearings and get my feet back and all those things, but I would think, knock on wood, that if everything goes well, I'll be able to go Friday."
It wouldn't hurt if the Twins had one of the MLB's best closers at full strength as they fight for postseason contention.
