Could hurting Konerko be headed for disabled list?

Paul Konerko was originally penciled into Sunday's lineup, but he was a late scratch after straining an intercostal muscle in his left side during batting practice in the cage.

Intercostal muscles connect the rib cage to the chest wall. Konerko felt pain during a swing and knew something was wrong right away.

"I knew immediately when I took the swing that my day was over," Konerko said. "It's happened twice in my life, once was in my back and once with today."

Konerko strained his lower back during a swing against the Yankees in 2005 and missed two games.

The White Sox hope to avoid sending Konerko to the disabled list, but manager Ozzie Guillen said after the game such a move is possible.

"Most of the time that happens because that's a real, real, real sensitive area and the one you use the most when you play baseball," Guillen said.

Said Konerko: "We'll just wait and see where it's at on Tuesday. It's definitely gotten a little sorer as the day went on."

Needed break: Ozzie Guillen gave slumping Carlos Quentin the day off Sunday, more to recoup mentally than physically.

Selected in May as Major League Baseball's "Clutch Performer of the Month," Quentin has 1 hit in his last 14 at-bats, part of an 8-for-50 slide spanning 13 games that has dropped his average from .295 to .269.

Though he remains tied for second in the American League with 16 home runs, Quentin has not hit a ball over the fence in his last 33 at-bats.

The White Sox are idle today, which gives the left fielder consecutive off-days to rest and recharge before the Pittsburgh Pirates come to U.S. Cellular Field for three games beginning Tuesday.

"He deserves two days off," Guillen said. "He's been playing every day."

Quentin has a swollen thumb, a chronic problem, according to his manager. However, Guillen said Quentin's day off was meant mainly as a mental break for the intense 25-year old, who, like Paul Konerko, has a tendency to beat himself up when not hitting well.

"Those are the kinds of guys, they take it so hard," Guillen said. "Every time they play they are just so intense. Once in a while, a break to get out from the field, don't show up and think about baseball. I pick (Sunday) because we've got (today) off. He can come back on Tuesday and redo what he's been doing all year."

Despite his recent production decline, Quentin entered Sunday ranked second in the A.L. in RBI (54), game-winning RBI (9) and go-ahead RBI (18), and he was eighth in slugging percentage (.525).