On the surface, Friday looked like a great night for the Chicago White Sox.
Will Venable’s squad staged two late comebacks, first tying the game on a Rikuu Nishida sacrifice bunt aided by some heads-up baserunning from Andrew Benintendi. Then, down to its final out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Chicago completed the comeback when Miguel Vargas launched a two-run walk-off homer, sending the crowd of more than 30,000 at Rate Field into a frenzy.
The 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers pushed the White Sox to three games over .500 for the first time all season. But the victory came at a cost. Munetaka Murakami, who has appeared in all 57 games this season, is now expected to miss multiple weeks.
Murakami began grabbing his right hamstring after hustling down the line to beat out a ground ball in the third inning. But after pulling up lame and reaching for the back of his leg, he left the game with a grimace and was replaced by Luisangel Acuña.
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While the 26-year-old slugger is undergoing further evaluation, the initial diagnosis does not sound promising. Venable told reporters after the game that Murakami might be out for several weeks.
Murakami’s absence could serve as a massive blow to the White Sox lineup. Not only are his 20 home runs tied for the American League lead, but he also leads the White Sox in RBIs (41), runs (43), on-base percentage (.378), walks (44), slugging percentage (.560), and OPS (.938).
Murakami hasn’t just powered the White Sox offense; he has also thrust the team into the national spotlight. Since arriving in Chicago after inking a two-year $34 million deal, the White Sox have gone from the laughing stock of the MLB to one of the most exciting teams in baseball.
White Sox Turn to Jacob Gonzalez
However, the injury has opened the door for former first-round pick Jacob Gonzalez. Gonzalez was pulled early from the Charlotte Knights’ game Friday, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan later reported that the White Sox are calling up the 23-year-old infielder.
After a slow start to his professional career, something appears to have clicked for Gonzalez. In 51 games this season, he is slashing .308/.414/.646 and has already established career highs with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs.
With Murakami sidelined, Vargas is expected to shift to first base, creating an opportunity for Gonzalez to get reps at third.
