The White Sox could get star first baseman Munetaka Murakami back in the lineup before the All-Star break as he begins a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.
Star first baseman Munetaka Murakami has been sidelined with a hamstring strain and has not played for the Chicago White Sox since May 29.
It was a massive blow from the moment he went down, and replacing Murakami hasn't been an easy task. The White Sox lost a player from the heart of their lineup who had 20 home runs in his first 200 MLB at-bats and a .938 OPS. But they've still managed to tread water in his absence.
Since Murakami suffered the injury, the White Sox are 18-15, giving them a 47-42 overall record and maintaining a one-game lead in the AL Central.
And now, the wait appears to be nearly over, as Murakami is just days away from rejoining the White Sox. On Monday, Murakami will travel to Charlotte to join the Triple-A Charlotte Knights for this week's series against the Nashville Sounds. Murakami will begin a rehab stint, which may not last very long.
White Sox manager Will Venable told the media on Sunday that Murakami could return to the White Sox sometime this week and play in a game before the All-Star break.
Chicago has an off day on Monday, followed by a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox and a three-game series against the Athletics, both at Rate Field in Chicago, to close out the first half.
It's definitely an interesting approach the White Sox are taking in trying to get Murakami back before the All-Star break. I had been anticipating Chicago giving him a little extra time to recover, not rushing his rehab stint, and having Murakami return for the first game after the break. But I suppose this speaks to how large of an impact Murakami can have on the White Sox lineup and how eager they are for his return.
Mune can change games with one swing. He gets on base at a .378 clip, and he adds valuable protection for the other big hitters in the lineup, like Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery. Every game matters, even if it's not against a divisional opponent, when you're anticipating a tight division race and the possibility of competing for a wild card spot in the American League if the division doesn't work out.
All this being said, we are not across the finish line just yet. As White Sox fans have already seen this season, a rehab stint doesn't mean there won't be a setback along the way. Things still have to go right for Murakami in Charlotte before he'll return to join the White Sox in Chicago.
But it now seems we could be just days away from Munetaka Murakami rejoining the White Sox at the perfect time and this lineup getting even better.
