Sox put Paul Konerko on DL

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CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko was placed on the seven-day disabled list on Friday because of a concussion he suffered earlier in the week.

Konerko suffered the injury Tuesday when he was elbowed in the head by Kansas City Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson while Dyson was running to first base. Konerko missed Wednesday's game against the Royals.

"He seems fine, but again in talking to him and having him go play is two different things," Sox manager Robin Ventura said prior to Friday's game and before Konerko was officially placed on the disabled list. "As far as being nauseated, it's not as bad as it was the other day, but he does feel it. He does have all the symptoms, they say, of a concussion."

Konerko has been consistently among the White Sox's top hitters this season. He is hitting .316 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs.

The White Sox hold a one-game lead on the Detroit Tigers for first place in the American League Central.

"It'll be different not having a guy like Paul in there if he goes on (the disabled list)," Ventura said before the move.

A player's stint on the disabled list for a concussion is not retroactive. Konerko will be eligible to return to the roster on Aug. 17.

This will be the third time Konerko will miss two or more consecutive games this season. He sat out two games in May after being hit by a pitch in the face and missed three games in June because of a loose fragment in his left wrist. He's played in 101 games this season.

Major League Baseball established new protocols for concussions at the beginning of the 2011 season. The league now requires a club to submit a return-to-play form to the MLB's medical director for a player diagnosed with a concussion to be cleared to play. The team's physician must establish all symptoms have cleared -- both at rest and with exertion, that ImPACT results have returned to baseline and the club physician feels it is safe for the player to return to competition.

The White Sox will make a corresponding move prior to Saturday's game.

Konerko was unavailable for comment before the game.

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Scott Powers is a general reporter for ESPNChicago.com. He is an award-winning journalist and has been reporting on preps, colleges and pros for publications throughout the Midwest since 1997.