After scary collision, José Abreu wanted to keep playing

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Ready for the most José Abreu story of all time?

The White Sox leader, the MVP, the guy who said that if the team didn't re-sign him he'd re-sign himself, got hurt Friday. It's not as bad as it looked like it could have been after he collided with Kansas City Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier along the first-base line. But it wasn't good, either.

Abreu's face was bruised and cut — the layman's translation of the contusion and laceration he was diagnosed with — and his knee wasn't doing so hot, either, also bruised in the collision. The good news for the White Sox was that Abreu was not concussed, at least according to the team's initial assessment.

RELATED: Abreu leaves Sox doubleheader after scary collision

But the easiest way to tell Abreu was feeling normal?

"He's doing well enough that he wants to play the second game," White Sox manager Tony La Russa said with a chuckle after a 6-2 loss in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader.

Yeah, that's Abreu all right. And really, it sounds like he didn't even need a few hours to come to that conclusion.

"That was a big collision, and to see Pito go down like that, he doesn't really ever do that," starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. "He's taken some hits and just gets right back up.

"After a minute he did get up, and he said he was fine, he could keep playing. But that's the type of player he is. He'll do anything for this team. ... He'll probably be back playing tomorrow, honestly."

Maybe he will be back out there when the White Sox play the third of this four-game set Saturday. That would be Abreu's style. After all, he's the guy who doesn't want any days off, as his mom would get mad about it. That apparently extends to when cuts and bruises come into play.

None of this should come as any surprise, of course. Abreu showed a willingness to sacrifice his body for this ball club during Carlos Rodón's no-hitter earlier this season, when, with Rodón still bidding for perfection in the ninth inning, he fielded a ball at first base and raced to the bag, sliding in to beat the runner and get the out. Rodón was obviously appreciative but understandably more than a little anxious.

"I told him he was crazy, he was stupid," Rodón said. "He said, 'No, no. Let's go, let's go.'"

La Russa didn't fulfill Abreu's wishes and run him out there for the second game of the doubleheader Friday. He's taking an understandably cautious approach to the next few days, too. But that could still end with Abreu playing Saturday.

"He's bruised. And I think everybody was worried about that wobble. That was because he took a blow to the knee, as well," La Russa said. "But all the reports, the concussion thing, everything sounds like he's sore but it could have been worse.

"Because it's him, we'll wait and see tomorrow. But he can't go out there all guts in pain, so we'll see how he feels tomorrow.

"He's such a stallion. Everybody knows he's one of our leaders, so everyone's concerned about him, personally, professionally. Right now, there's a sense of relief."

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