Munetaka Murakami ‘comfortable’ in Cactus League debut

MESA, Ariz. — Munetaka Murakami was a late arrival for his first spring training game with the Chicago White Sox.

Once he got to the ballpark, everything went pretty smoothly.

Murakami had two hits and two RBIs in his Cactus League debut Friday. The Japanese slugger is learning his way around the major leagues after reaching a $34 million, two-year contract with the rebuilding White Sox in December.

The 26-year-old Murakami was momentarily removed from the starting lineup after he got caught in some traffic on his way to Sloan Park. But he arrived about 20 minutes before the first pitch and bounced to second base in his first at-bat in the first inning of an 8-1 victory over the Cubs.

“There was a big, big accident in the highway,” Murakami said through an interpreter. “I was just concerned the whole time. … To be really, really honest, I wasn’t able to prepare fully, but I made it in time I think.”

Murakami is hoping to provide a lift for the White Sox after they dropped a whopping 324 games over the previous three seasons. He hit .270 with 246 homers and 647 RBIs in 892 games over eight years with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League.

Murakami, who started at first base, got his first hit on a 91.9 mph sinker from Connor Schultz in the third inning. The one-out single had a 108.3 mph exit velocity.

With one out and the bases loaded in the fourth, Murakami hit a drive to center off Porter Hodge. Cubs center fielder Seiya Suzuki lost the ball in the sun, and it landed on the back of the warning track for a two-run double.

“I’m really happy how it went, without any injuries,” Murakami said. “I had butterflies inside me the first few minutes of it. But after I started fielding and I got an at-bat, I felt a bit more comfortable and felt myself.”

Murakami and Suzuki are going to play together for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, and the two talked in the offseason about what it’s like to play in Chicago.

“I loved him, but after the popup, I hate him. So I’m not going to support him,” Suzuki joked through a translator.

Murakami looked at a called third strike in his final at-bat in the sixth. He was replaced in the field before the bottom half of the inning.

Manager Will Venable praised Murakami for collecting himself after his trouble getting to the game.

“This guy is so committed and such a professional,” Venable said. “We’ve asked him to do some things that he hasn’t necessarily been accustomed to and how he prepares and his adaptability and flexibility to do those things has been awesome. That adjustability gives you confidence that he’s going to be able to go out there and make adjustments throughout the year.”