White Sox Slugger Munetaka Murakami Injured During Base Running, Expected to Miss 2 Weeks

CNA Chicago, May 29. Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami left the game against the Detroit Tigers today after feeling discomfort in his right hamstring while sprinting to first base. The White Sox manager initially estimated that Murakami might be sidelined for two weeks. According to Sports Hochi, in the bottom of the third inning with one out and a runner on first, Murakami hit a grounder to second base. He sprinted to first to avoid a double play, but immediately grabbed the back of his right thigh after reaching base safely, showing signs of pain. Team staff attended to him, and he was replaced by a pinch runner. The White Sox eventually won the game 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning on a walk-off two-run homer by Miguel Vargas. White Sox manager Will Venable said during the game, "He was running hard to first base. It seems he felt some discomfort in his hamstring at that moment. We will conduct tests to determine how to proceed." He added, "It was clear he felt discomfort at that moment, and we won't push him." When asked about the recovery timeline after the game, Venable explained, "It is expected to take about two weeks; it's a hamstring strain. We will have a more detailed examination tomorrow to confirm the situation through imaging." The 26-year-old Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million contract to move from Japan to MLB last December. In his rookie season, he has hit 20 home runs, tied for second in MLB with Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros, trailing only Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies with 21. He has played 56 games so far, with a .242 batting average and 41 RBIs.