White Sox rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami strains hamstring during 10-inning walk-off win over Tigers, expected to go on IL

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.

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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. He beat Zack McKinstry’s throw to first, but reached for the back of his right leg as he finished his sprint.

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

Following the game, manager Will Venable told reporters that Murakami would likely miss “a couple of weeks,” which means he would go on the injured list. No official diagnosis or announcement has yet been made with Murakami still to undergo imaging exams, however.

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Despite Murakami’s injury, the White Sox earned a 4-3 walk-off win over the Tigers in 10 innings on a Miguel Vargas home run. Detroit reliever Drew Romo left a changeup out over the plate, and Vargas jolted it for his 13th homer of the season.

Murakami’s impressive start

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.

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Murakami, 25, signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox last December. He played eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows of the Japan Central League. In his fifth season, at age 22, he broke Japanese legend Sadaharu Oh’s 58-year-old home run record by hitting 56 homers while slashing .318/.458/.710.