White Sox rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami suffers hamstring injury, leaves game vs. Tigers

Chicago White Sox rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami has been one of the standouts from the first two months of the 2026 MLB season.

The Japanese import’s 20 home runs have been a significant factor in the White Sox’s surprising turnaround to a 29-27 record that put them in second place in the AL Central going into Friday’s matchup with the Detroit Tigers.

However, Murakami’s debut MLB season encountered an obstacle with the first baseman suffering a hamstring injury during the third inning while running out a double-play grounder to second base.

The White Sox announced that Murakami left the game with right hamstring tightness and would undergo further evaluation.

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Going into Friday’s game, Murakami was tied for the American League lead in home runs with 20 and ranked second with 41 RBI. After going 0-for-2 before leaving, he had a .240/.378/.560 slash average in 246 plate appearances.

With his 20th home run in Wednesday’s 15-2 win over the Minnesota Twins, Murakami became the fourth player in MLB history to hit 20 homers in the first 55 games of his career. He was also the third player in White Sox history to hit 20 home runs in the team’s first 55 games of a season. And he reached 20 career homers faster than any batter in team history.

This story will be updated with more information.