Six weeks after tweaking a hamstring running out an infield hit, Munetaka Murakami is being activated by the White Sox, and the timing could not be better. MLB Trade Rumors confirmed the move Thursday night, restoring the rookie slugger to a roster that has somehow kept its head above water without him.
MLB Trade Rumors broke the news that the White Sox are activating Murakami off the injured list.
Before the injury, Murakami was arguably the best story in baseball. The Japanese slugger signed a two-year, $34 million deal in the offseason and immediately went nuclear, hitting 20 home runs with a .938 OPS through his first 57 games — the kind of rookie power surge that had him squarely in the AL Rookie of the Year conversation before he ever missed a game.
The hamstring strain, a Grade 2, was the kind of injury that can linger, and it knocked him out for the better part of six weeks. Chicago used a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte to get him back up to speed, and the plan all along was to have him ready for this weekend's series against the Athletics.
What makes this activation actually matter is that the White Sox didn't fall apart without their best hitter. Chicago went 18-15 in Murakami's absence and enters his return tied for first place in the AL Central. That's a team that was surviving on fumes offensively, and now it gets its biggest bat back for a stretch run that suddenly has real stakes.
There's also a longer-term subplot here. Murakami is only signed through 2027 before hitting free agency, and the front office has already been fielding questions about a possible extension without showing much urgency to get one done. A strong second half after this return would only raise his price tag — and White Sox fans have to be hoping he's fully healthy enough to put one together.