Munetaka Murakami's return cut short as Swallows' struggles deepen

Japan Times

21-04-2025

The Tokyo Yakult Swallows might have had visions that the return of Munetaka Murakami, the team's star slugger who may be MLB-bound in the offseason, would kickstart the slumping franchise, which has struggled mightily at the plate in the opening weeks of the NPB season.
Instead, Murakami's 2025 debut after recovering from what the team called an upper body ailment lasted scarcely longer than four at-bats, and the last-place Swallows are arguably in a worse place than where they began.
The 25-year-old star was replaced in the middle of his fifth at-bat of the night against the Hanshin Tigers on Thursday at Jingu Stadium after what seemed to be a recurrence of the injury that sidelined him during spring training.
He was taken off the roster the next day, with no word from the club about how long he would be out this time.
'It is a recurrence,' manager Shingo Takatsu told reporters, according to Nikkan Sports. 'Of course, we would not bring him to the top team if he was not in perfect condition. It's difficult. He and the trainer both decided he was ready.'
The two-time Central League MVP was initially sidelined in the middle of March due to upper body discomfort and missed the Swallows' first 15 games of the regular season. Murakami later played in five contests with the farm team to tune up for the season, going 6-for-12 with a home run.
He rejoined the top team for the first time in nearly a month on Thursday, announcing his impending return to the lineup on Instagram with a photo of him and team mascot Tsubakuro with the caption 'I'm ready.'
Murakami was in the cleanup spot against the Tigers and played the outfield for the first time in his career. He was 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts before a single to left in his fourth at-bat. He then appeared to injure himself while swinging at a pitch in the ninth inning and was replaced during his fifth trip to the plate.
'I realized again that the atmosphere of the lineup, and the stadium, and on the bench are different with and without him,' Takatsu was quoted as saying by NHK.
Losing Murakami for a prolonged period would be bad news for a Swallows team that is fifth in the Central League with a .210 team average and 46 runs scored. The club has also lost five of its last six games. Takatsu has even tried to shake things up by moving his starting pitchers up to No. 8 in the lineup in the past two games.
The club has eight players with at least 30 at-bats and just one is batting above .254. The usually hard-hitting Swallows are not hitting home runs either, with Tetsuto Yamada leading the team with just two. The club has six overall, fewer than Central League leader Teruaki Sato, who has seven for the Tigers.
Yakult's other top hitters have struggled in Murakami's absence. Domingo Santana, who has had consecutive seasons with at least a .300 average, is batting .241; Jose Osuna has a .254 average and Yamada is hitting .195.
Compounding the issue is a pitching staff that has an NPB-worst 3.75 ERA.
The Swallows have to hope Murakami is not out for very long and that he comes back strong enough to help spark the players around him. Otherwise, it may be a long summer for a team struggling to score and prevent runs.
Murakami was also hoping to go out in a blaze of glory this year before heading to MLB. There is still time, assuming his latest injury does not lead to a long-term absence. That may be something the Swallows, in their current state, will not be able to weather.
No hits, one run
The Seibu Lions pulled off an extremely rare feat against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on Thursday, with starter Tatsuya Imai and closer Kaima Taira combining for a peculiar combined no-hitter.
The only blot on an otherwise spotless night came in the seventh inning when the Hawks pushed across a run with a walk, a stolen base and a pair of groundouts.
The Lions still won 2-1 in a game that marked the fifth time in NPB history that a team allowed a run while also throwing a no-hitter, and the third time it involved more than one pitcher. It was the first to be completed without an error.
'I realized after the fifth inning that I hadn't given up a hit,' Imai said. 'I gave up a run in the seventh but left it to our closer in the ninth.
Unfortunately for Imai and Taira, no-hitters in Japan, which are called 'no-hit, no-run' games, are only official if they come as part of a shutout by a single pitcher. So the Hawks' run spoiled Imai's bid for a no-hitter and will also keep him and Taira from being referenced in the record book for throwing NPB's sixth combined no-hitter.
Despite that, Imai is off to one of the best starts in Japan. The right-hander is 2-1 with an NPB-best 0.84 ERA across 32 innings over four starts.
All four outings have come against either the Hawks or the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, who finished first and second, respectively, in the Pacific League standings last season.
No home cooking
Pacific League teams have been a bit too hospitable to start the season, with all six clubs under .500 in home games. The Hawks, last season's pennant winner, are off to the worst start, with a 1-8 record at Mizuho PayPay Dome.
Conversely, the Fighters lead the Pa League with nine road victories after a 2-0 win over the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Sunday. Orix, meanwhile, is 8-0 away from home.
There is no such trend in the CL, where four teams are at least .500 at home. The Hanshin Tigers, however, who regularly lead NPB in attendance, are off to a 2-7-1 start at Koshien Stadium.
Welcome back
Murakami was not the only high-profile player to return from a spring injury last week.
Ryoya Kurihara, who was sidelined in March with pain on his right side, made his season debut for the Hawks with a two-hit performance against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Thursday.
Kurihara went hitless in his next two games before breaking out with a 3-for-4 afternoon against the Lions on Sunday to help the team to a 3-1 win that snapped a five-game losing streak.