Munetaka Murakami's return to White Sox lineup will create conundrum for resurgent rookie

When Munetaka Murakami exited the White Sox game on May 29th with a hamstring injury, it felt like it could be the beginning of the end of the White Sox surprise run. Murakami’s 20 home runs in 57 games would be sorely missed in the lineup, and the toughest part of the schedule was just around the corner. Instead, the White Sox have rallied together, continued to post excellent offensive numbers without their best hitter, and find themselves still in first place as the calendar flips to July. The promotion of Jacob Gonzalez was a key roster move, and with Murakami’s return imminent, leaves the White Sox with a difficult decision to make. 

It’s been an unexpected rise for Gonzalez, the 15th-overall pick in the 2023 draft. After back-to-back disappointing years offensively, Gonzalez has taken his game to a new level in 2026. In 52 games with Triple-A Charlotte, Gonzalez slashed .317/.419/.668 with 19 home runs and a 1.087 OPS. After being essentially written off by White Sox fans and evaluators, Gonzalez forced himself back into the conversation and his promotion was well-earned. The versatile infielder was given a tough task, needing to fill the shoes of Murakami at first base for the duration of his injury. 

Gonzalez got his big league career off to a strong start, with a .333 average and multiple clutch hits during his first eight games. It was there that he sunk into a brutal slump, going 0-for-25 over his next ten games. At the time, it felt like the decision would be obvious and Gonzalez would be optioned back to Triple-A upon Murakami’s return from the injured list. But things began to turn for him. In the last five games entering Tuesday, Gonzalez is 8-for-19 (.421) with 13 RBIs and has very clearly been seeing the ball better. He’s brought his average from .163 to .235 and his slugging percentage from .224 to .353 in that span. In addition, OAA is high on his range at first base, though he has made a couple mental lapses that show signs of an inexperienced player at the position. If his turnaround continues, it’s going to make the roster decision for Murakami’s return difficult. 

The White Sox don't have an easy solution for Jacob Gonzalez

Murakami has yet to begin a rehab assignment, so his return is likely still a couple weeks away, but it’s not too soon to start thinking about the upcoming roster move. At 24, Gonzalez has offensive upside and it could benefit the White Sox to continue to give him opportunities at the big league level. The problem is, there’s not really a position for him to play. Barring an injury to an infielder, the group is set when Murakami returns. Gonzalez hasn’t really played outfield, nor does he have the athleticism to play there at the big league level. That leaves the designated hitter spot, where the White Sox have gone with a platoon of Andrew Benintendi and Randal Grichuk in recent months. Gonzalez, as a lefty, could slide into Benintendi’s role, but Benintendi’s .925 OPS since May 30th has been a big part of making up for Murakami’s absence. He’s the highest paid player on the team and is under control for 2027. It’s hard to see the White Sox pivoting from that. 

The White Sox are left with a few options. They could keep Gonzalez on the roster as a backup infielder, but it might not make sense to relegate a 24 year-old former first round pick to the bench when he could be taking everyday at bats in Charlotte. The most likely outcome is simply optioning Gonzalez until the next opportunity arises. Good teams sometimes have to keep good players in the minor leagues because they simply don’t have a roster spot for them, and that may be the case for the White Sox and Gonzalez. It’s also possible that Gonzalez’s strong performance could serve as an audition of sorts for teams looking to add a young infielder at the trade deadline. As painful as it would be watching him go, Gonzalez being available could be the key to the White Sox landing the controllable pitching they need. 

We’re still a couple weeks away from the White Sox needing to make a decision about Gonzalez’s role moving forward, and we’ll certainly enjoy his resurgence in the meantime. Hopefully, he continues to produce over the next few weeks and makes the decision for White Sox GM Chris Getz even more difficult.

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