Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami hit his first home run of the spring during his return to Cactus League play in a 6-4 victory against the Athletics. The home run, with an exit velocity of 108.5 mph, went 419 feet. Despite his absence from the World Baseball Classic and playing for Japan, he has been making strides with his conditioning and performance. Manager Will Venable commended his first stretch at the team and said he felt good about where he is at and taking advantage of the recent classroom sessions. Murakamam also expressed his desire to continue building a strong relationship with his Sox teammates. He hopes to continue ramping up his game against big-league pitchers and is ready to go in the season.