Panik reports progress

In the “race” between the two right-side infielders to return from concussions, second baseman Joe Panik is many furlongs ahead of first baseman Brandon Belt.

Panik ran sprints on the field and took 50 swings off a tee and soft-toss from a coach Sunday at AT&T Park. He said if he feels well enough Monday, he will take batting practice on the field.

Belt remains tethered to the gym, just beginning to do as much cardio work he can tolerate.

“With Belt, the best way I can describe it is, he’s doing OK,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s doing cardio up to the point he needs to stop. He’s not at a stage where he can push it right now.”

Belt suffered his fourth concussion when he was hit in the head by an Anthony Banda curveball during an Aug. 4 game against the Diamondbacks at AT&T Park.

Panik has been out since Aug. 13, when he tried to beat a throw home in the second game of a doubleheader at Washington and the ball struck him near the left temple before deflecting into the catcher’s glove for an out.

Panik is most encouraged that his vision is fine. That was the issue that derailed his 2016 season after then-Tampa Bay pitcher Matt Moore hit him in the helmet in a June game at Tampa Bay. Panik did not regain normal vision until the offseason.

“I’m not dealing with any balance issues,” he said. “I hope to pick up where I left off.”

Panik was just getting hot. He was 6-for-12 with a double and homer in Washington.

Bochy does not expect to see Panik return before this homestand ends Wednesday. Panik expects to play “sooner than later.” For Belt, the question is: Can he return in 2017? He hopes to do so, telling teammates he wants to reach 20 homers for the first time. He has 18. Sandoval humor: Bochy said the way Giants center fielder Denard Span’s inside-the-park homer Saturday caromed off the wall, then away from the outfielders after it was kicked, “Pablo would have had an inside-the-park home run.” If so, Pablo Sandoval told Bochy in the dugout, the manager would have had to take him out of the game.

There has been a recent spike in inside-the-park homers. Span hit the 13th in the majors this season and the sixth in August, including one by the Cubs’ Javier Baez at AT&T on Aug. 7.

Instead of looking into juiced balls, baseball should investigate juiced walls.