The Chicago White Sox were dealt a blow on Saturday when they learned that rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami would head to the injured list. The Japanese slugger hurt his hamstring in Friday’s game and is expected to miss four to six weeks, thus robbing the team of the American League home run leader and favorite to win the league’s Rookie of the Year award.
In Friday’s 4–3 win over the Detroit Tigers, Murakami was at the plate in the third inning with a runner on first. He hit a grounder to the second baseman, who then began a double play attempt. Murakami beat the throw to first, but as soon as he touched the bag, it was evident something was wrong.
He immediately grimaced and then grabbed the back of his leg. White Sox personnel, including a trainer, skipper Will Venable, and an interpreter, then went to meet Murakami at first base. It was then decided to remove him from the game due to a right hamstring strain. After testing was conducted on Saturday, it turns out that will be the last White Sox fans see of their star player, perhaps, until after the All-Star Game, which is six weeks away.
Murakami was certainly a prospect for the Midsummer Classic thanks to a blazing start to his MLB career in his first year in the states. No AL player has more homers than his 20 on the year, and only Kyle Schwarber, who entered Friday with 21 long balls, had more in all of baseball.
Given his proficiency in launching balls over the fence, not only was Murakami a contender for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, but he was a virtual lock for this year’s Home Run Derby as well. In addition to his 20 homers, Murakami is hitting .240 with 41 RBI, has 43 runs scored, and has 44 walks. His runs scored also top the American League, while he ranks second in RBI, fourth in walks, and sixth in total bases.
Before Saturday’s 7–1 win over Detroit, Murakami spoke through an interpreter upon receiving the news that he could be sidelined for up to six weeks.
“It’s obviously disappointing, at this point of the stage being injured,” the interpreter relayed to the assembled media. “But there are a lot of ways to contribute to the team, like cheering on and other stuff that I can really put to the team. So, I’ll keep doing that, so that we can keep grinding as a team.”
The 26-year-old signed with the White Sox in the offseason on a two-year deal after a prolific career with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the NPB. He made his debut as an 18-year-old with the Swallows and played with them for eight years. Over in Japan, Murakami was a four-time All-Star, twice led the Central League in home runs, won the Japan Series championship in 2021, and also achieved the Triple Crown in 2022.
Also in 2022, Murakami broke Sadaharu Oh’s record for most home runs in a single season by a Japanese-born player, as he clubbed 56 long balls that year. There was some question on if his power would translate from the NPB to MLB, but Murakami quickly hushed any doubters. His 20 home runs for the Sox are the most ever for any MLB rookie before the month of June.
Murakami also excelled on the international stage prior to joining Major League Baseball. He was part of the Japan squad that won an Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Games, as well as another gold medal at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
There’s no singular player that can replace Murakami for Chicago, but Jacob Gonzalez will be the nominal replacement. On his 24th birthday on Saturday, he was called up from Triple-A Charlotte to fill Murakami’s void and was hitting .317 in the minors this season. A shortstop by trade, Gonzalez did log time at first base for the first time in his minor league career earlier this season.
After Saturday’s win over Detroit, and the Cleveland Guardians’ loss to the Boston Red Sox, Chicago is just two games back of sharing the AL Central lead. It has a 31–27 record, and no one saw this type of year from the White Sox coming, based on the last few years. The White Sox lost at least 100 games each year from 2023–25, as their 324 defeats over that span were the most in all of baseball and were 33 more than any other AL team.
Murakami’s performance certainly played a huge role in that improvement, and the team will have to find ways to stay afloat with its star slugger sidelined.
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