White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami placed on injured list with right hamstring strain

Chicago White Sox Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami has been placed on the 10-day injured list today due to a Grade 2 right hamstring strain, expressing that he is 'quite regretful.' White Sox manager Will Venable expects Murakami to be out for four to six weeks. Murakami was running at full speed during a home game against the Detroit Tigers on the 29th, and after safely reaching first base, he immediately grabbed the back of his right thigh with a pained expression and was substituted early. According to the MLB official website, Murakami has a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring. Through his interpreter Kenzo Yagi, Murakami said he 'felt a lot of pain.' White Sox manager Will Venable revealed that Murakami is expected to be out for four to six weeks, saying, 'It's tough. Obviously, he has a huge impact on our team both on and off the field.' Venable also said, 'He puts a tremendous amount of energy into his work and others. I think he's very frustrated right now... We'll try to support him. It's tough. However, this is something every team encounters, and we have to find a way to manage the players and play good games.' According to NHK, Murakami said in an interview, 'I felt a slight pain when I was running at full speed. This is my first hamstring injury. I am very, very frustrated.' He continued, 'There is nothing I can do about what has already happened; how to proceed from here is what matters. I can no longer achieve my previous goal of not missing any games during the season, but I will work hard to return to 100% condition. I will face this properly and work hard to return after growing from this experience.' Before the injury, Murakami had not missed any of the White Sox's 57 games since the start of the season and had performed brilliantly: a .240 batting average, 20 home runs leading the American League, and 41 RBIs, ranking second in the AL. Driven by Murakami's hot streak, the White Sox have improved significantly this season, shaking off the gloom of finishing last in the AL Central for two consecutive years, and are currently in second place in the division with 30 wins and 27 losses. Now, Murakami's departure due to injury will be a major blow to the team.