White Sox fans long-awaited return of Munetaka Murakami could come sooner than expected

When Munetaka Murakami suffered a hamstring injury at the end of May, it felt like it could be the beginning of the end of the White Sox impressive run. Instead, the team has rallied to go 18-15 since the injury, and the offense hasn’t missed a beat. As the All-Star break approaches, the White Sox find themselves in first place, and an already-strong lineup may receive an even bigger boost a bit sooner than expected. The White Sox provided a promising update on Murakami prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Guardians.

It initially seemed like Murakami was set to return when the White Sox head to Toronto immediately following the All-Star break, but it sounds like the plan is to get him in a few games before the break. Murakami will join Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday and may only stay there for a couple games to get his timing back before rejoining the White Sox. 

Murakami, who has been out since May 29th with a grade 2 hamstring strain, was leading the White Sox with 20 home runs in 57 games before his injury. Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas have also reached the 20-homer mark during Murakami’s absence, but the White Sox appear on the verge of adding their premier slugger back into the middle of their order. 

The White Sox productive offense is about to get even better

Without Murakami, the White Sox offense has held its own, averaging 5.06 runs per game and hitting 49 home runs in 32 games, an increase from their 4.68 runs per game before the injury. Part of this is due to the arrival of prospects Braden Montgomery and Jacob Gonzalez, who have held their own against big league pitching. Rookies Sam Antonacci and Tristan Peters have been strong contributors as table-setters for the big bats of Vargas and Montgomery, and the return of Kyle Teel has improved the offensive production at the catcher position. Murakami’s return should only boost the offense further. 

With starting catcher Kyle Teel having missed the first two months of the season, Murakami’s return will mark the first time this season the White Sox lineup is fully healthy. The only notable absences remaining on offense are Austin Hays and Everson Pereira, who have been frequent visitors to the injured list this season. Randal Grichuk and Junior Perez have done a solid job of replacing their production in the meantime. 

With the White Sox lineup soon to be at full strength, the club can focus its attention on pitching reinforcements at the upcoming trade deadline. There’s a long way to go and plenty can happen that changes the forecast of the division, but the White Sox certainly seem like they’re in the AL Central race for the long haul. Munetaka Murakami has been one of the biggest reasons the White Sox have turned from a rebuilding team into a contender in such a short time, and his imminent return to the lineup is going to be a massive boost.

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