New White Sox infielder/outfielder Rikuu Nishida was skipping and chuckling through the team’s clubhouse, and on the field at the Rate before Monday’s 3-1 win over over the Minnesota Twins.

The 25-year-old native of Osaka, Japan had a lot to be happy about before and after the game.

The White Sox had just promoted him from Triple-A Charlotte and he made his major league debut – batting ninth and playing right field in the same lineup with countryman and slugger Munetaka Murakami.

The 5-foot-6,150-pound Nishida even giggled way through a pregame interview session with reporters in the dugout. He understands and speaks English, but interpreter Kenzo Yagi was at his side to provide precise translations.

“I’m really really happy, excited, but really nervous at the same time,” Nishida said via Yagi. “I still can’t believe it’s true right now, so a lot of butterflies inside me.

“I don’t feel like I’m a major-leaguer. I am still like in a very humble state at the moment.”

In the win, Nishida came through with his first hit, seven outfield put-outs and a run-saving throw to the plate in the second inning that gunned down the Twins Orlando Arcia.

Added Pressure

Nishida put a little extra pressure on himself. He’s wearing uniform No. 51, the same worn by Hall of Famer and Japanese legend Ichiro Suzuki.

“The number itself speaks a lot,” Nishida said. “It’s a really big number for me to be honest.

“I’m still a little bit unsure about, you know, whether I can wear it or not, but you know, I’m speechless. I can’t even put into words how much of a great player Ichiro is.”

Nishida looks up to Murakami, too, suggesting the 26-year-old rookie slugger is a “captain” kind of player.

At 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, Murakami’s stature and classic power-hitting style is a polar opposite from Nishida’s, who’s expected to spray the ball and use his speed in line with Ichiro’s approach.

Took College Route

The White Sox selected Nishida in the 11th round in 2023 when he played for the University of Oregon for one season. He broke into American baseball with two years with separate junior college teams in Washington State (Cowlitz) in 2021 and Massachusetts (Hyannis) in 2022.

Nishida tries to balance baseball with other elements of his life. It hasn’t been all fun, he noted. His mother passed away while he was playing college ball and it had a “really big effect on me and how I am as a person right now,” he said.

That personal loss didn’t affect his joy for the sport.

“I just love the game of baseball,” he said. “It’s not about money. It’s not about being a hobby. I just love to play.

“I think that really show who I am as a person. That’s why I think everybody sees me as an energetic person.

“I also can be kind of quiet too… if you want me to,” he added with a laugh.

The Other Move

To make room for Nishida on the roster, the Sox designated outfielder Jarred Kelenic for assignment. Kelenic hit .226 with one homer and four RBIs in 19 games.

First or not?

There are ample Japanese players and stars in the majors.

Nishida is the ninth player to have been born in Japan, then been drafted and make it to the majors, according to SportRadar.

However, he’s the first with a Japanese surname or given name. The rest, starting with Bobby Fenwick who was picked by the Sox in 1966, appear to be American citizens. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also is on the list.

Nishida regards that only as a historical footnote, however.

“There’s not a lot of meaning into it, because I’m just the first person in the books,” he said. “There’s obviously a lot of great (Japanese) players out there.”