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.
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