For a franchise that's spent the better part of a decade as a punchline, the White Sox sitting atop the AL Central in mid-July already felt like a fluke waiting to correct itself. Then the injury report handed them a gift: Munetaka Murakami, the NPB import who turned into one of the best rookie stories in baseball, is finally healthy again.
White Sox To Activate Munetaka Murakami t.co/YMFHQciotJ
Murakami had been out since late May with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain, and Chicago went 17-18 without him — treading water, not sinking, but clearly missing his bat. Before he got hurt he was slashing .240/.378/.560 with 20 homers, tied for seventh in the American League, to go with 41 RBI and 44 walks in just 57 games. That's not a fluke rookie stretch, that's an MVP-caliber pace from a guy who came over from Japan with sky-high expectations and has somehow cleared the bar.
The activation came with a corresponding move — Jacob Gonzalez, one of Chicago's other young infield options, got optioned back down to Triple-A Charlotte to clear the roster spot. It's the kind of "tough decision" a rebuilding team loves to have: too much young talent, not enough spots. Manager Will Venable slotted Murakami right back into the lineup for the final series before the All-Star break, against the Athletics.
The #WhiteSox will have Munetaka Murakami back in the lineup tonight: t.co/rQJwpU1epo
The timing couldn't be better for fantasy managers either. Murakami missing 35 games while chasing playoff spots in shallower leagues is exactly the kind of thing that tanks a roster's power numbers, and his return restores a middle-of-the-order bat that was producing at an elite clip before the hamstring gave out.
But the bigger story is what it means for Chicago. The White Sox weren't supposed to be relevant in July, let alone tied for first in their division. Getting their best power threat back healthy, right as the calendar turns toward the stretch run, is the kind of break that turns a nice story into an actual contender.
The Chicago White Sox are in first place and Munetaka Murakami returns today!
There's still real risk here — hamstrings are notoriously tricky, and rushing a slugger back for a playoff push has burned plenty of teams before. But for a White Sox fanbase that's had almost nothing to cheer for, a healthy Murakami hitting in a first-place lineup heading into the All-Star break is about as good as it gets right now.