​CHICAGO (AP) — Munetaka Murakami is poised to rejoin the slumping Chicago White Sox on Friday night after being sidelined by a strained right hamstring. He completed two rehab outings with Triple-A Charlotte, where he went 2 for 7 with a double. In the wake of Chicago’s 2-1 defeat to Boston on Thursday, White Sox manager Will Venable indicated Murakami would be in the lineup for the opener of the weekend series against the Oakland Athletics.
“He’s ready to go,” Venable said. “He was challenged running the bases and defensively, had a really long game yesterday. So I feel good about the workload, he recovered well today, and he’s ready to go.”
Murakami sustained his injury during a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on May 29, grabbing his right hamstring after beating out a throw to first on a fielder’s choice in the third inning. At the time, the Japanese rookie was among the league leaders with 20 homers, 41 RBIs, 43 runs, and a .947 OPS.
The White Sox sit at 47-45, effectively tied with Cleveland (48-46) for the top spot in a lackluster AL Central race. However, Chicago has dropped three in a row and six of eight overall. They totaled just two runs and 15 hits in the three-game series against the Red Sox.
Outfielder Andrew Benintendi stressed the importance of Murakami’s return. “Obviously, he’s a presence in the lineup,” Benintendi said. “He’ll bring the energy. It seems like the vibe in here is kind of down right now, but I’m sure seeing him tomorrow will spark it back up.”
Now 26, Murakami signed a $34 million, two-year contract with Chicago in December. The White Sox went 17-18 while he was on the injured list. Venable added that activating Murakami would have a significant impact on both the field and the clubhouse, underscoring the excitement surrounding his return.
“We understand the impact he makes on the field and in the clubhouse, so to activate him is going to mean a lot for our group,” Venable said. “Really excited about him.”