Munetaka Murakami Injury Exit Could be Bad News for White Sox

The Chicago White Sox had been experiencing a great start to their MLB season, with rookie Munetaka Murakami a major boost to the team’s offense.

On Friday, the team’s early success may hit a wall when the 26-year-old slugger exited Chicago’s game against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning due to hamstring tightness.

Murakami suffered the injury while attempting to beat a double play attempt by the Tigers. While Detroit was able to achieve a forceout at second base, Murakami beat the throw to first base.

Soon after, he was grabbing at his right hamstring. That prompted a visit from White Sox manager Will Venable, interpreter Kenzo Yagi, and the team’s medical staff to discuss the situation with the rookie.

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Soon after their conversation, Murakami left the game, with pinch runner Luisangel Acuna replacing him on base. Acuna proved a wise choice, as he was able to round the bases quickly and score that inning off a double by teammate Miguel Vargas.

Meanwhile, the team indicated they would further evaluate Murakami to determine the severity of his hamstring issue. At the time of this writing, the Tigers led the White Sox, 2-1, in the top of the seventh inning.

In the 2025 MLB season, Chicago finished at 60-102 and last in the American League Central. With their current record of 29-27, they’re second in the division, and trailing the Cleveland Guardians by three games, something that seemed unfathomable last season.

Coming into Friday’s game, the White Sox had won their past two games and were 5-5 in their last 10.

Murakami’s early impact has been a major boost, as his 20 home runs are tied with Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez for the American League lead. The two players are tied for second in all of baseball, trailing the Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber by one.

While his .242 batting average isn’t ideal, he’s also tied for the AL lead in RBIs. This rookie slugger has certainly helped power last year’s joke of an AL Central team to wins, and while he’s not the fastest baserunner, a significant amount of missed time could hurt Chicago’s early standing in the division.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 6:46 PM.