Levine: Konerko Hopes To Return This Week
By Bruce Levine--
(CBS) -- Injured White Sox first baseman/designated hitter Paul Konerko said he plans to get back on into game action on the team's last road trip this week. Konerko fractured a small bone in his hand on Sept. 2 making a tag play. He has been rehabbing the injury since without doing any baseball-related activities.
On Friday, Konerko took what he called "dry swings" for the first time in 11 days. On Saturday, the 38-year-old White Sox icon attempted his first swings off of a tee.
"I feel I am in a pretty good spot," he said. "I took some swings off of a tee and some soft toss, maybe 30-40 swings. It is a little sore today, but it is soreness that will not set me backwards. This type of soreness is expected after a layoff. I have no worries. I will get back out there this week. It is a matter of if it is in Kansas City or Tampa."
Konerko will return to Chicago on Sept. 25 to play the last games of his 16-year White Sox career. The organization has celebrated his entire career with great promotions and video salutes all throughout September. Paul Konerko Night at U.S Cellular Field will be Sept. 27 as the team and fan base pay tribute to this special person and player.
"I am aware of what is going on," Konerko said Sunday. "You are just not going to stop the clock. (Time) will move, it is going to get here. I am trying to have balance between the end of the year and knowing this is the last time for me. All these things this year have been great the way people have treated me. I want to stay in the present mentally for all this stuff. You do have those thoughts that you want to get on the other side of it. You do want to try and soak everything you can out of it. You can't do that if you have those thoughts. Getting back out there will help me move past some of these thoughts."
Konerko is in the top three of most of the franchise's hitting record departments. He is the team's all-time leader in total bases and second to Frank Thomas in home runs (432) and RBIs (1,383). His 12 seasons of 20 or more home runs is also a White Sox franchise record.
