NEW YORK (AP) -Paul Konerko was back at first base for the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night against the Yankees, making a quick recovery from a strained right knee and giving a much-needed boost to a lineup beset by injuries.
Konerko was emerging from a season-long slump when he sprained a ligament in his knee Sept. 9 after cutting off a relay and turning to throw to second base against Toronto.
When he fell to the ground, he thought his season was over. But he missed just five games over the past week and is eager to help Chicago, which has a 1 1/2-game lead over Minnesota in the AL Central despite losing MVP candidate Carlos Quentin (broken wrist) and Joe Crede (back) in early September.
“I just want to be able to finish up strong and help out,” said Konerko, who will wear a knee brace.
or his early return.
“I was a little upset because he started swinging the bat real good. He was carrying the ballclub for a couple of days and he was hurt at the wrong time,” Guillen said. “Hopefully he’ll come back the same way he was before he was hurt.
The White Sox are just 6-7 this September, and have been without Quentin, who leads the AL with 36 homers, since Sept. 2. Crede went out a day later, but Konerko doesn’t see the injuries as an excuse for Chicago’s mediocre play down the stretch.
“You don’t want to lose those guys, but other teams lost players,” Konerko said. “The Red Sox lost David Ortiz for a long time and Tampa Bay lost (Evan) Longoria and (Carl) Crawford. It’s no excuse. We still got to play.”
Konerko’s return sends slugger Nick Swisher to the bench for at least a game. Swisher is in a deep slump, hitting .109 (7-for-64) in his last 20 games, and Guillen said he has to go with the “hot” player.
“We don’t have Quincy and Crede in the lineup, everybody’s got to step it up a notch,” Guillen said. “I think he should go back to the basics. … Hopefully that will help him.”
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