Tough day off the field too for Sox

Off the field, it has been a difficult two months for the White Sox.

Community ambassador and former player Bill “Moose” Skowron died April 27.

Last Wednesday Sox pregame instructor and former relief pitcher Kevin Hickey passed away at 56. Hickey was buried Tuesday following a funeral mass at Old St. Pat’s Church in Chicago.

“It’s not fun,” Paul Konerko said. “Those things are never fun. You know, sometimes life gets in the way of baseball and you see what’s really important.

“It was tough to see (Hickey’s) family. He’s got daughters and grandkids and all that kind of stuff. For us, it’s been kind of surreal the last month because although we knew his condition and we knew that might happen, until it actually goes down and you are at a funeral, it doesn’t really make sense.

“It kind of still doesn’t.”

Hickey was found unresponsive in his Texas hotel room the day before the White Sox opened the regular season with an April 6 game against at Texas. He never emerged from his coma.

Konerko returns:

After being in the face by a Jeff Samardzija pitch during Friday’s interleague game against the Cubs and sitting out Saturday and Sunday, Paul Konerko was back in the White Sox’ lineup Tuesday at first base.

Konerko’s left eye is still discolored, but the swelling subsided and he was able to play.

“There’s a little soreness, but I can see out of it,” said Konerko, who was 2-for-4 with 1 RBI in the Sox’ loss to Minnesota.

Morel status:

Brent Morel said he hopes to come off the disabled list in 15 days, and he talked to trainer Herm Schneider about a rehab program Tuesday.

But the bulging disc in his back has been bothering Morel since spring training, and getting a cortisone shot May 10 did not knock out the pain.

“It started a little bit in spring training,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You saw his swing kind of slow down and then you could see it going that way.

“If he gets healthy and gets back, I want to get him in there. I still believe in him, and eventually that’s hopefully going to happen.”

Show of support:

At Wednesday night’s game against the Twins, the White Sox will host and honor members of the Chicago Police Department for their service during the NATO summit.

Police superintendent Garry McCarthy, accompanied by Chicago police officers, will represent the department’s 12,500 members as the White Sox present a special tribute during the seventh inning.

The Sox also announced that all sworn members of the Chicago Police Department will be offered two complimentary tickets to one of 10 select games.