SAN FRANCISCO -- What seemed like a minor issue when Bruce Bochy met with reporters in the morning was much more serious 12 hours later.
Joe Panik will get a second opinion on his sprained left thumb and could need surgery, Bochy said after the second game of a doubleheader. Bochy indicated there is ligament damage, some sort of tear, in the thumb.
"It looks like he's going to be out a while," Bochy said.
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Panik was hurt Friday night when applying a tag on a pickoff play at second base. He was sore Saturday morning and went for an MRI. Kelby Tomlinson had a big day at second base but this would still be a big blow. Panik is the leadoff hitter and was off to a hot start.
Milwaukee's Eric Thames had surgery Friday for a torn thumb ligament and will miss six to eight weeks. Tampa Bay's Kevin Kiermaier also had thumb ligament surgery recently and is expected to miss two to three months.