Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox first baseman, injured his right hamstring running to beat out a double play ball in the third inning of the May 29 game against the Detroit Tigers. The team diagnosed a Grade 2 hamstring strain and placed him on the injured list before their game on May 30 [1, 2].
Murakami was hitting .240/.378/.560 with an American League-leading 20 home runs prior to the injury [2]. White Sox manager Will Venable said after an initial evaluation, "Looks like a little hamstring strain on the initial evaluation. He'll get some imaging tomorrow, but probably a couple weeks. Nothing official, got to continue the evaluation, but it might be a couple weeks" [2]. However, some sources report the expected absence could be 4 to 6 weeks based on the Grade 2 strain diagnosis [1].
To fill Murakami’s spot on the roster, the White Sox called up infield prospect Jacob Gonzalez. Gonzalez has impressed at Triple-A with a .317/.419/.668 slash line and 19 home runs in 52 games during the 2026 season [1, 2].
The White Sox improved to 30-27 after their win on May 29 [2]. Miguel Vargas, who contributed in the same game, reflected on his efforts: "First in my career, in my life. ... I tried to drive in the runner and put the team in position to where we can win the game. I got lucky. I got the right pitch and put a good swing on it, and we got good results" [2].
The White Sox will continue to monitor Murakami’s recovery with additional imaging and evaluations planned. His return timeline will be reassessed as treatment progresses.
