SAN FRANCISCO — Second baseman Joe Panik was activated from the disabled list Friday night and was in the starting lineup, batting leadoff against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Panik was injured April 28 on a pickoff attempt against the Dodgers Yasiel Puig and underwent surgery to repair his left ulnar collateral (thumb) ligament.
To make room for Panik on the roster, utility infielder Kelby Tomlinson was optioned to the minors, and will initially be with the Single-A San Jose Giants before presumably moving on to Triple-A Sacramento.
The Giants also activated reliever Mark Melancon, who hasn’t pitched all season because of a right elbow flexor strain, and designated pitcher Jose Valdez for assignment.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said outfielder Hunter Pence, out since April 20 with a thumb sprain, would join the club Saturday with the role of being a fourth outfielder.
Panik was hitting .267 in 23 games at the time of his injury, and his recovery was quick enough so that he was able to bypass a Double-A rehab assignment in El Paso in favor of the brief assignment in San Jose.
“Got a couple of days in San Jose, I was happy with the way I hit the ball,” Panik said. “I felt like I was ready a couple of days ago. Kind of helps ease the mind, not rushing it. I swung the bat well, hit the ball hard.”
Panik said he’ll play with a small protective mitt on his left hand when running the bases and a small sleeve that supports his thumb at the plate.
“I talked to Joe, he’s set to go,” Bochy said. “It’s good to have one of your guys back. He was leading off before he left and it’s always good to get those guys back.”
The recovery, Panik said, was a methodical process.
“To me it was just checking boxes off,” Panik said. “I ran the bases, I dove for a ball, I tagged (a runner), hit the ball and am seeing the ball well.”
With Tomlinson off the roster, the Giants have no viable shortstop to back up Brandon Crawford. Options include moving Panik, and even Pablo Sandoval, who got in some emergency work at second in Panik’s absence, was taking a few ground balls at short Friday night.
Alen Hanson, the second baseman who was called up when Panik was hurt — only to be lost to a left hamstring strain — has been working some at shortstop during his San Jose rehab stint.
Bochy said a decision on how to proceed as far as a backup shortstop would wait until “I see Pablo take few balls at short.”
— Madison Bumgarner will start Tuesday night against Arizona, making his season debut after breaking his pinky finger while fielding a comebacker in the final game of spring training.
Bumgarner threw 4 1/3 innings Thursday night for the San Jose Giants, striking out seven.
“I talked to him in the office, he’s throwing great, he’s all set to go,” Bochy said.
— Pence will be well compensated for a reserve outfielder with a salary of $18.5 million in 2018. Bochy reiterated that left field for now belongs to Mac Williamson.
“Hunter will be used as a fourth-outfielder type, try to get him in there as much as I can, late in the game, just like you would a normal outfielder,” Bochy said. “Right now Mac is going to get the lion’s share of playing left field.”
Pence, who hit .301 with a home run and 13 RBIs for Sacramento, also spent time adjusting his swing with Doug Latta, the same man who helped Williamson get more power and consistency.
— Derek Rodriguez will start Sunday’s game against the Phillies against Jake Arrieta, with Ty Blach moving to long relief.
— Starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, on the 60-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation, was playing a light game of catch before the game. Cueto is not eligible to come off the disabled list until June 30.
— Valdez, who was designated for assignment to make room for Melancon, had a 12.60 earned run average in four appearances. The 28-year-old right-hander was coming off a 10-day stint on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation.
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