The only White Sox regulars given the day off were first baseman Paul Konerko and catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who caught nine innings a day earlier in Arizona.
Konerko had a cortisone shot in his left hand to treat a lingering thumb injury, but a team spokesman said he’ll play Friday in Atlanta.
UPDATE: Gonzales:
That’s largely because he and trainer Herm Schneider have taken preventive measures to protect a right thumb that nagged him in 2008 during a subpar season.
“Since then, Herm and I have done a good job of staying in front of the pain, to where I’ll get the (pain-killing) shots before it gets bad,” said Konerko, who rebounded in 2009 with a .277 batting average with 28 home runs and 88 RBIs. “We’re protecting it better, cutting down on the workload, not hitting all day just to hit — all that helps. We’ve done a pretty good job of monitoring it better.
“In 2008, I figured I better start taking care of this, or else you’re not going to be able to swing the bat the way you want to. You still feel it. I can feel it, but it’s nothing that’s stopping me from being able to do what I want to do at the plate, and that’s the key.”
