Konerko's knee still sore, but getting better

Ms. Cleo Paul Konerko is not.

"No predictions," Konerko said Sunday as to when he might return to the White Sox lineup.

The 32-year-old first baseman suffered a mild strain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Toronto on Tuesday and remains day to day.

Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Saturday he hoped Konerko could be ready to play this week in the four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Konerko swung a bat in the indoor batting cage Saturday for the first time since the injury.

"Everything went alright but it was just off a tee, though, so it wasn't all out," Konerko said. "Good first day with that."

Another day of rest brought slight improvement in the knee.

"It feels a little better," Konerko said. "It's still a little sore, but that's it."

Two grand: Javier Vazquez struck out Edgar Renteria swinging in the fifth inning of Game 1 to record his 2,000th career strikeout. Vazquez became the 62nd pitcher in major-league history to achieve the milestone and the ninth active pitcher.

"It makes you think of Nolan Ryan's 5,000 strikeouts. I mean, wow, that's amazing," Vazquez said. "I give all the glory to the Lord that he keeps me healthy. I've been healthy for a lot of years, worked hard and pitched a lot of years. It's something that's pretty cool."

Vazquez, 32, started his 30th game Sunday, making him the only pitcher in baseball to record 10 wins, 30 starts and 150 strikeouts in each of the last nine seasons.

Paying it forward: Former White Sox closer Bobby Thigpen sent a note of congratulations to Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez Saturday night after Rodriguez broke Thigpen's Major League record for saves in a season with his 58th.

In the message, which was distributed by the White Sox media relations department Sunday, Thigpen told Rodriguez his record is an achievement he "should treasure this year and for years into the future."

Dave Righetti sent a similar congratulatory message to Thigpen in 1990 when his record was broken.

"I want to continue that tradition with a note of my own to you," Thigpen wrote to Rodriguez.

Waiting game: The White Sox remained patient as they waited out a rain delay of 3:11 at the start of Sunday's doubleheader.

"It's not fun sitting here all day doing nothing, but you never want to have (games) stacked up at the end of the year," A.J. Pierzynski said. "You want to get them in and get them over with."