San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik is being held out of the lineup Sunday against the Texas Rangers because of back stiffness, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Panik was forced to sit out Tuesday and Wednesday due to the ailment, and manager Bruce Bochy indicated Panik may be held out Monday as well.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik will return to the starting lineup Friday against the Texas Rangers after recovering from a back injury. Panik sat out each of the team's last two games with tightness in his back.

Panik had a huge day at the plate Friday, going 4-for-6 with his seventh home run and three RBI in the win over the Phillies. Many were surprised when manager Bruce Bochy selected Panik to be a part of his NL All-Star squad, but the sophomore second baseman proved why he deserves to be in the game. His four-hit performance Friday brings his slash line up to .313/.375/.456 on the year.

Panik is out of the lineup Monday against the Mets, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports. The Giants will sit both of their double-play partners, as Panik and Brandon Crawford both get the night off with a lefty (Jon Niese) on the mound. Panik has fared reasonably well against southpaws this season with a .279 average across 81 plate appearances, so don't expect him to fall victim into a hard platoon at second base.

Panik went 3-for-4 with his 20th double, a walk and an RBI in Friday's loss to Colorado. He's now collected back-to-back three-hit games, and with a .316 average and a prime position in the San Fran lineup, Panik has become a must-own player in fantasy. His BABIP is high at .342, but it was .343 last year, so his high-contact, ball-spraying approach is clearly working out at the highest level.

Panik went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run scored in Saturday's win over the Dodgers. Panik continues his breakout season with another multi-hit day. His batting average is right where it was last season (.307), but his true improvements lie in his increased OBP (.375) and SLG (.465).

Panik homered for the second straight game Wednesday against the Mets as part of a 3-for-5 day with two RBI and two runs. The offensive barrage continues -- Panik's now hit safely in 14 straight games and 32 of his last 34, a spectacular offensive showing that's surprisingly made him one of fantasy's more valuable second basemen this year. The 24-year-old is showing never-before-seen power -- his isolated slugging is currently higher than it's ever been at any stop in pro ball -- and though his BABIP is high at .352, that's only a few ticks higher than last year, so it seems he might be capable of sustaining a batting average around .300 while providing double-digit homers and a handful of steals.

Panik hit his fifth home run, a solo shot, as part of a 2-for-5 night in Tuesday's win over the Mets. Panik is one of the rare second basemen hitting consistently this year. Even if his .346 BABIP falls off, Panik has proven an excellent contact hitter (12.2 K%) and has shown above-average power for the position, making him one of the best options in a shallow pool in 2015.

Panik extended his hitting streak to six games Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the loss to the Braves. Panik has been on a tear recently, and should be owned while hot. He has shown significant power improvements in his sophomore season, surpassing his rookie totals in doubles (11) and homers (four) in approximately two-thirds of the at bats.

Panik went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Brewers. Panik has hit safely in 21 of 24 games this month, collecting multiple hits on six occasions. With his third home run of the season Wednesday, Panik has exceeded his total number of extra-base hits from a year ago (13) in 28 fewer games. He's locked into the two-hole for San Francisco against right-handed pitching.