White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, the Knights announced on social media.
The positive development comes after CHSN’s Brooke Fletcher has provided several encouraging updates on Munetaka Murakami. The Japanese slugger is continuing to recover from a Grade 2 hamstring strain and has completed several days of baserunning drills in Cleveland.
Friday marked the first of two scheduled days of high-intensity baserunning for Mune. Manager Will Venable told Brooke Fletcher on Thursday that Murakami needed to complete back-to-back sessions before the team could evaluate how his hamstring responded. Saturday marked the second day of that progression, and Murakami gave Fletcher a “thumbs up” afterward. With things still feeling all good after Sunday, the team gave him the green light to return to game action.
Murakami originally suffered his Grade 2 hamstring strain on May 29 against the Tigers. He was shown on the broadcast sprinting down the line on a fielder’s choice and immediately grabbed at his right hamstring after crossing the bag. Following a brief conversation with manager Will Venable and the training staff, Murakami was removed from the game under his own power.
The initial recovery timeline was set at 4-6 weeks, and Murakami is now approaching the end of that window. If all goes well, he could begin a brief rehab assignment on Tuesday and return to the White Sox lineup in time for the weekend series against the Athletics. Otherwise, a return after the All-Star break would almost be a certainty if the club elects to be more cautious.
The Charlotte Knights begin their series against the Nashville Sounds at home on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:04 p.m. CT.
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