Chicago White Sox have sidelined rookie first baseman Munetaka Murakami for at least 10 days after he suffered a right hamstring strain on Saturday.
The 26-year-old player, currently tied for the American League’s top spot with 20 home runs, got hurt during Friday’s victory over the Detroit Tigers at home.
The injury occurred when Murakami was sprinting toward first base trying to avoid a double play during the third inning. He clutched his hamstring muscle and had to leave the game, walking carefully back to the dugout on his own while Luisangel Acuna took over as a pinch runner. Saturday’s MRI scan verified the muscle strain.
Through 57 games in his debut major league season, Murakami has compiled a .240 batting average along with 41 RBIs and tops the American League with 43 runs scored. The Japanese player inked a two-year deal worth $34 million this past December.
Chicago also made additional roster moves, bringing up infielder Jacob Gonzalez from their Triple-A Charlotte affiliate and moving pitcher Jordan Leasure to the 60-day injured list due to his right flexor strain.
Gonzalez, who turned 24 on Saturday, did not start in the afternoon game against Detroit. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the organization’s 23rd-best prospect.
Selected by Chicago as the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft from Ole Miss, Gonzalez has posted impressive numbers at Charlotte this year with a .317/.419/.668 slash line, 19 homers, and 62 RBIs across 52 games. He leads all minor leaguers in RBIs and total bases with 133, while sharing the home run lead through Friday.
While Gonzalez has primarily played shortstop in the minors, he has also started five games each at first base and second base this season.
If Gonzalez plays, he would join a select group as only the second White Sox player ever to debut on his birthday, following left-handed pitcher Ken Patterson who accomplished the feat on July 8, 1988.
