CHICAGO -- Paul Konerko went from writhing in pain to sighing in relief.
The Chicago White Sox's first baseman was helped off the field with what the team called a mildly sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the second game of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays.
He's scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday after X-rays were negative, and he expects the tests to confirm what the doctor told him.
"When I first came out, with what the doctor was doing with my leg, he felt real confident about it," Konerko said. "That it was just a nice little sprain. That I kinda pushed it past where it should go and that's it. I think the MRI is more for peace of mind."
The injury occurred after Konerko cut off right fielder Jermaine Dye's throw toward the plate following Alex Rios' run-scoring single in the fifth inning. As he threw toward second, Konerko's right leg buckled.
While Rios eventually got tagged out in a rundown, Konerko clutched his knee and writhed in pain before being helped off the field.
"I've never done anything like that where I felt something move out of place for a second and then back," Konerko said. "All I could think of when I was on the ground was 'is that what it feels like when you blow your knee out?' Luckily, it's not."
After losing MVP candidate Carlos Quentin possibly for the season to a broken wrist last week, the AL Central leaders might be without one of their emotional leaders. The injury comes just as Konerko was starting to show some life at the plate. He had homered in three straight games before going 0-for-2 in the first game Tuesday, which the White Sox lost 3-1.
"I'm swinging the bat well," said Konerko was hitting .244 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs. "I want to get back out there. Sometimes, you're just at the mercy of the game."