Flowers to start at 1B for sore Konerko

Playing first base isnt completely foreign to Tyler Flowers. He filled in twice at the position last year for the White Sox.The problem was, Flowers didnt even have a first-basemans glove when he was thrust into playing. So he borrowed one from Adam Dunn the first time, then got a loaner for Paul Konerko the next.At least this time Flowers will have his own glove. Flowers, Chicagos back-up catcher, makes his first start of the season -- and only third career -- at first base tonight when the Sox play Toronto in the second of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.Im prepared, Flowers said regarding the glove. I got mine actually right when the season ended last year. The last thing you want to worry about is playing first base for the first time and then using someone elses glove. Im very comfortable with my glove.Flowers gets the start at first as Konerko remains out of the lineup with a bone chip in his left wrist. Its the same thing that kept Konerko off the field for a short stretch last season.Konerko underwent a procedure Tuesday at Rush University Medical Center to dislodge the chip from where it was resting in his wrist. The fragment remains inside Konerkos lower arm, but he needed another day of rest due to soreness from that procedure.The bone chip got me again, Konerko said. Now its just sore from having a couple needles stuck in there and a lot of fluid pumped in to try and get (the fragment) out of there. We felt pretty confident when we left (the hospital) that it was out. I could feel it wasnt restricting me anymore.Konerko said he expects to return to the lineup for the series finale against Toronto on Thursday, and no later than Fridays opener against Houston.The bone chip has been there for a few years, though Konerko said it has only become a problem these past two seasons. He said he intends to have offseason surgery to remove it, but chose against doing that after last season.At that point the fragment had been flushed to an area where Konerko and the medical staff figured it wouldnt be a problem anymore.The thinking was we kind of solved it, Konerko said. Somehow or another that wasnt the case. It came back in almost a year and a day later.In other injury news, left-hander John Danks is getting closer to returning from his left shoulder strain that put him on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 20. Danks threw in the bullpen for the third time since Friday.It went great, Danks said. This was leaps and bounds better from where we were. Threw all four pitches pain-free for strikes. Ready to go, man. Its been a long time.Danks expects to make a rehabilitation start in the minor leagues early next week, and could be ready to return to the Sox rotation sometime in the middle of the month, perhaps as early as the Dodgers series, which starts June 15 in Los Angeles.Meanwhile, outfielder Kosuke Fukodome remains out with an abdominal injury on his right side.Third baseman Brent Morel continues to rehab with Triple-A Charlotte. Morel is hitting .320 with a double and five runs scored in seven games. Sox manager Robin Ventura said he wasnt sure when Morel would return to Chicago.