The White Sox are getting a major offensive reinforcement back with Munetaka Murakami, but it comes at the expense of a promising rookie in Jacob Gonzalez who made the most of his first opportunity in Chicago.
The Chicago White Sox have officially returned star first baseman Munetaka Murakami from his rehab assignment and activated him from the injured list. Murakami rejoins the White Sox ahead of a weekend series against the Athletics, the final series before the All-Star break, with Chicago desperately needing a boost of energy and offense.
In the corresponding move, the White Sox have optioned rookie infielder Jacob Gonzalez back to Triple-A Charlotte.
In 30 games with the White Sox after Murakami went down, Gonzalez received 97 plate appearances and hit .244 with a .683 OPS. He had two home runs and 17 RBIs.
While I do feel like Gonzalez deserves to be on this White Sox team, and while he would bring more value to the club than someone like outfielder Junior Perez, who remains on the active roster, Gonzalez being optioned to Charlotte likely has more to do with his long-term development than his short-term contributions to the big league team.
With Murakami back in the fold, the White Sox have a full infield. And the DH spot against right-handed pitching is occupied by Andrew Benintendi on a daily basis. There just aren't regular at-bats available for Gonzalez barring injury. So rather than keep him on the active roster to serve as an occasional pinch hitter or make a spot start on the infield, the White Sox are going to let Gonzalez get back in the everyday lineup and continue developing in Charlotte.
In 52 games with the Charlotte Knights to start the season, Gonzalez hit .317 with a 1.088 OPS, 19 home runs and 62 RBIs. That production earned him his MLB debut and more than a month in Chicago. So while he's going back for the time being, I certainly don't believe we've seen the last of Gonzalez in the show. He doesn't have much more to prove in the minor leagues.
As far as Murakami is concerned, White Sox fans should have their fingers crossed that he brings some instant offense with him. The White Sox have now gone three consecutive games without an extra-base hit, becoming the first team in MLB to do that this season and the first White Sox team to do so since 2010.
They've fallen into an extreme offensive rut and are now 47-45 with three games to play until the All-Star break. They're truly limping to the Midsummer Classic, and in the process, they're allowing other teams to get back into the division and wild-card races.
The White Sox need a series win and a jolt of energy against the A's this weekend, and hopefully Murakami's presence in the lineup can provide exactly that.
