Chicago White Sox power hitter Munetaka Murakami exited Friday’s contest against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning after suffering a hamstring injury.
The slugger, who shares the American League home run crown with 20 blasts alongside Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, clutched his right hamstring following a sprint to first base while trying to beat out a potential 4-6-3 double play.
The injured player made his way back to the bench under his own power, moving at a cautious pace.
“He’ll be evaluated and we’ll see what we got,” White Sox manager Will Venable explained to CHSN following the inning. “Obviously, it grabbed on him. In that instance, you just want to make sure he’s all right and not push it. Obviously with all our guys, we want to protect them and make sure they’re healthy.”
Luisangel Acuna entered as a pinch runner for the injured Murakami and came home to score on Miguel Vargas’ two-base hit. When the fourth inning began, the team made several defensive adjustments: Vargas shifted from third base to first, Acuna moved to shortstop, and Colson Montgomery transitioned from short to third base. Montgomery remained in the lineup despite experiencing lower back discomfort after making an out to end the previous inning.
The injured player has been a standout performer for a White Sox team that held the second American League wild card position entering Friday’s matchup. The 26-year-old first baseman has started every one of the team’s 57 contests this season, posting a .240/.378/.560 statistical line while contributing 20 home runs, 41 runs batted in, and drawing 44 walks.
