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After taking two of three from the first-place Atlanta Braves over the weekend, the Chicago White Sox received another dose of good news earlier today.
Veteran slugger Paul Konerko, who was recovering from a lower back strain suffered earlier this month, was reinstated from the 15-day DL and will start at DH for the White Sox tonight against Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers.
At age 37, Konerko has struggled for the majority of the 2013 season. His .249/.314/.368 triple-slash line for the year is much lower than his career line of .282/.358/.495, and the South Siders captain is on pace to hit under 20 homeruns for the first since 2003.
Konerko’s tough year from the plate has directly impacted Chicago’s offense, which currently sits last in the American League in runs scored. The lack of production from Konerko in the middle of the White Sox lineup has been one of the, if not the top, reason the Sox’ offense has let down their stealer starting pitching.
In order for the Pale Hose to have any hope of turning around their frustrating season, “Pauly” will have to start producing like he has throughout his Hall of Fame career on the south side.
I have little doubt Konerko still has the talent and drive to put together an unforgettable second-half in what could be his last few months with the White Sox, and maybe even in the game of baseball all together. He’s shown in his 15 seasons in Chicago that he’s one of the games top right-handed hitters. Although his age is beginning to catch up to him, I expect Konerko to have a bounce back second-half starting tonight against Detroit.
With his legacy already firmly implanted with the White Sox and their fans, a strong finish to the 2013 season would be the icing on the cake for Konerko.
Matt Malecha is a Chicago White Sox writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMalecha and add him to your network on Google.
