​The road back is in motion. On Tuesday, Munetaka Murakami returned to the field, kicking off a rehab assignment with the Charlotte Knights. In the first game at Charlotte (47-41), Murakami started his rehab by roping a single on his first at-bat, then had two men aboard with no outs, setting up an early inning run that would give the Knights the lead. A Ryan Galanie fly-out and a Caden Connor sacrifice fly later, and Charlotte had started the scoring. Murakami remained in the game for five innings, finishing 1-for-3 with two strikeouts as he tested his timing and build-up in game action. The offense took advantage of Murakami’s presence with Galanie delivering a game-changing moment in the second inning—a grand slam that pushed Charlotte ahead 5-1. Nolan Jones added a two-run double in the sixth, and Andy Weber continued the momentum with an RBI hit in the seventh, helping the Knights extend their advantage. On the mound, the pitching staff held firm, with Tanner McDougal returning from the injured list to work a clean inning, producing a walk and two strikeouts.
Evaluating the Knights’ standout performers, Rikuu Nishida went 3-for-5 with two runs, and Murakami contributed 1-for-3 with two runs, while Ryan Galanie was 1-for-5 with a run and four RBIs, highlighted by the grand slam. Nate Jones chipped in a 1-for-2 line with two RBIs and a double, Edgar Quero went 1-for-3 with a run, Andy Weber added two runs, an RBI, and a double on his stat line, Jason Matthews went 1-for-2 with two runs and two walks, and Tyler Schweitzer logged 1 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing three hits, one base on balls, and three strikeouts. Garrett Schoenle pitched two innings with one hit allowed, one strikeout, and the win.
In other action, the Columbus Clingstones defeated the Birmingham Barons 4-3. The Barons looked poised to seize the win late, but Columbus wasn’t finished. Alec Briley opened the scoring with a first-inning solo homer for Birmingham, yet Lucas Gordon answered by allowing a game-tying homer on just his fourth pitch and another solo shot in the fifth that flipped the advantage to Columbus. Dylan Campbell countered with a sixth-inning solo homer to knot the game again. The Barons had a potential winning moment in the ninth when Samuel Zavala drew a leadoff walk and raced home on T.J. McCants’ RBI double, but the lead vanished quickly as Jonathan Clark allowed the tying run before the Clingstones walked off with a single in the bottom of the frame. The Barons’ most productive players included Alec Briley, who went 1-for-5 with a run, RBI, and a homer, Dylan Campbell who went 2-for-4 with a run, RBI, and a homer, and J. McCants who went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double, and a stolen base. Phil Fox worked an inning with one hit and no runs, Pierce George threw one perfect frame, and Lucas Gordon delivered six innings with two runs on four hits, a pair of walks, seven strikeouts, and quality start notes.
Meanwhile, the Asheville Tourists topped the Winston-Salem Dash 11-3. The Dash struck first by tacking on an RBI double from George Wolkow in the opening frame, driving in Ryan Burrowes after a single. The early success, however, was short-lived as rehabbing pitcher Shane Smith took the mound for Asheville and immediately allowed three runs in the second inning. Smith’s line read 2 2/3 innings, three earned runs, three hits, and two walks, but he also punched out six, leaving his outing with a mixed but not entirely negative result as he works his way back. The Tourists exploded offensively in the later innings, and the rally continued as Asheville put more pressure on Winston-Salem’s pitching staff.
Across these games, Murakami’s return provides a meaningful lift for Charlotte as they navigate his rehab assignment. The Knights are leveraging his presence to spark their lineup while he regains timing and endurance on the field. Murakami’s 1-for-3 line in his first appearance, combined with the team’s success at the plate—especially Galanie’s grand slam and Nishida’s multi-hit effort—suggest the rehab phase could ramp up soon, with Murakami building toward a longer stay and a potential full return to the lineup in the near future. As for the other affiliates, Birmingham’s close loss to Columbus, and Winston-Salem’s setback, reflect how tightly contested minor-league action remains, with late-inning drama and standout individual performances shaping outcomes in every contest.