Paul Konerko is scheduled to rejoin the Chicago White Sox in Kansas City on Friday, and manager Robin Ventura expects him to be able to play in the series opener after missing a week following a mild concussion.

"He's on his way to K.C. so it looks as if everything is fine, and he will be able to join us (Friday)," Ventura told reporters on Thursday in Toronto before the Sox played the Blue Jays. "I would say he is probably going to come out early, do some stuff, and we'll go from there. But everything leading up to it looks fine. It looks like he is going to be able to play."

Ventura said Wednesday that he would likely use Konerko as the designated hitter and ease him back to first base.

Konerko took an elbow in the head from the Royals' Jarrod Dyson as Dyson was crossing first base on Aug. 7. He was put on MLB's seven-day concussion list on Friday.

After being re-evaluated on Monday, Konerko resumed baseball activities on Tuesday but did not travel with the White Sox for the four-game series against the Blue Jays.

Ventura said he has texted back and forth with Konerko and said he seems fine but admitted there is uncertainty with concussions given recent examples in baseball.

"You see the history of what's happened to guys in the league," Ventura said. "You see Justin (Morneau) in Minnesotsa and kind of how that's gone and Corey Koskie and guys likes that. You just never know."