Worth noting

• Paul Konerko tied Frank Thomas for third place on the White Sox all-time hits list with 2,136, on Wednesday, when he went 1-for-4 with a double against the Royals. Luke Appling (2,749) and Nellie Fox (2,470) rank ahead of Thomas and Konerko.

• Ventura believes that playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic gave Alex Rios an extra edge in getting ready for the season. He also feels that changes Rios made last year will lead to continued success in 2013.

"He just looks comfortable for me and looks the same as he did last year," Ventura said. "Just knowing what he's doing and how he's doing it."