CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham hit off a tee Friday for the first time since having surgery last month to remove the hamate bone in his left hand.
The anticipated rehab for Beckham, who injured the hand on April 9, is six weeks.
"It felt pretty good," Beckham said of his swings off a tee. "I took 100 swings and that is a lot of swings. I don't know if I would take that many swings if I was healthy. It felt good but obviously there is still some discomfort there."
Beckham hopes to be ready for a rehab assignment soon.
"There is a lot to like about the first day," he said. "We have kind of a very general time table set up. We think maybe a week and a half from now I could go out. That could be bumped up and it could be moved back."
Beckham and the team agree that four rehab games should be enough after he regains full strength in his hand.
Beckham admitted it has been difficult to watch his teammates struggle for the month he has been injured.
"It has been tough to watch it because the team has been struggling a little bit," he said. "This has given me good perspective and hopefully I come back better from it."
Beckham's replacement, Jeff Keppinger, has been in a long slump, hitting .191 with no home runs and 6 RBIs.
"You want your starters playing," Beckham said. "At the same time I don't look out here and say that second base or left field has been played badly since (Beckham and Dayan Viciedo, who had an oblique strain) have been out. I think everybody brings what they bring to the game and the guys that have filled in have done real well."