Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring, manager Will Venable announced Saturday, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com.
The White Sox placed Murakami on the 10-day injured list and promoted infield prospect Jacob Gonzalez, who turned 24 years old Saturday.
The 26-year-old star rookie sustained the injury while running out a ground ball in the third inning of Friday's 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. He was immediately removed for a pinch runner.
White Sox manager Will Venable said 1B Munetaka Murakami might be out a couple of weeks pic.twitter.com/bGjtkxZqwr
— Boog00 (@boog00) May 30, 2026
Murakami has made an immediate impact in his first MLB season after coming over from Japan. His 20 home runs are tied for the AL lead, and he owns a .240/.378/.560 slash line with 41 RBIs and 44 walks across 246 plate appearances.
Gonzalez, ranked as Chicago's No. 24 prospect by MLB.com, is hitting .317/.419/.668 with a Triple-A-best 19 homers and International League-leading 62 RBIs in 52 games with Charlotte this season. He's a shortstop by trade but has seen time at all four infield positions this year, including five starts at first base.
The White Sox can cover for Murakami's absence by moving third baseman Miguel Vargas - who replaced him at first base Friday - across the diamond and slotting in either Gonzalez or primary shortstop Colson Montgomery at the hot corner. Outfielder Rikuu Nishida, who was called up earlier this week, also has some infield experience if needed.
