Morton was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right index finger inflammation.
The right-hander suffered the injury during Friday's start against the Nationals and will finish the regular season on the IL. Morton is now likely to be unavailable through at least the NLDS, as he won't be eligible to be activated until after the roster for that series needs to be set. However, he could be reinstated mid-series if Atlanta places another player on the IL. Allan Winans was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move and will start Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader in Washington.
Morton will undergo an MRI on Saturday after leaving his start Friday at Washington with right index finger discomfort, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Morton felt something in his right index finger while throwing a curveball in the bottom of the first inning and was replaced by Michael Tonkin before the bottom of the second. X-rays were negative for any fractures, but Morton may be dealing with some sort of ligament or tendon issue -- for now, it's being called a sprain. This injury could mark the end of his regular season if it's at all severe, though he still might be a possibility for the NLDS. His final regular-season start was slated to come in next week's series in Atlanta against the Cubs.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Exits with finger discomfort
Rotowire
Morton was removed from his start Friday at Washington due to right index finger discomfort.
Morton looked a little off while issuing two walks in the first inning and was replaced by Michael Tonkin before the bottom of the second. The 39-year-old right-hander didn't allow any hits or runs and tallied one strikeout prior to his early departure.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Lit up by Marlins
Rotowire
Morton (14-12) allowed six runs on six hits and five walks over 4.2 innings Sunday. He struck out five and took a loss against Miami.
Morton kept the Marlins off the board for two innings before coughing up five runs in the third, including Jazz Chisholm's grand slam. After yielding three runs during a five-start stretch, Morton has been tagged with 10 runs in his last two appearances. His season ERA has climbed to 3.66 with a 182:81 K:BB through 162.1 frames. Morton's next start is lined up to be in Washington.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Strikes out nine in six innings
Rotowire
Morton did not factor into the decision in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Phillies, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks over six innings while striking out nine.
The four runs allowed were one more than Morton had allowed in his previous five starts combined. Despite subpar effort, Morton was in line for the win, but the bullpen allowed four runs over the next three innings to allow the Phillies to send the game into extras. The 39-year-old Morton is tied for fifth in the majors in wins with 14 and holds a 3.42 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP and 177 strikeouts over 157.2 innings. His next start is scheduled to take place over the weekend in Miami against the Marlins.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Labors through four innings
Rotowire
Morton (14-11) allowed two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three over four innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Dodgers.
Morton needed 90 pitches (52 strikes) to get through four frames, making Sunday's outing his shortest start since July 25. Prior to this poor start, he'd allowed just one run while striking out 33 over 24 innings across his last four starts combined. The right-hander is now at a 3.32 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 168:72 K:BB through 151.2 innings over 27 starts this season. Morton is projected to make his next start at home versus the Pirates.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Picks up 14th victory
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Morton (14-10) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over six innings against Colorado. He struck out eight.
Morton turned in another strong outing Tuesday and has now strung together a handful of impressive starts, posting a 0.38 ERA and 33:11 K:BB over his last four appearances (24 innings). He'll look to keep the ball rolling in his next start, which is tentatively lined up to come against the Dodgers this weekend.
Morton (13-10) allowed two hits and a walk while striking out 11 over seven shutout innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Mets.
Morton has thrown 18 scoreless innings over his last three starts, and he's record double-digit strikeouts in each of his last two outings. Wednesday's effort was his best work this season. He's trimmed his ERA from 3.86 on Aug. 6 to 3.37 now, and he's added a 1.38 WHIP and 157:67 K:BB through 141.2 innings across 25 starts. The 39-year-old right-hander is lined up for a road start in Colorado next week.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Fans 10 in dominant outing
Rotowire
Morton (12-10) earned the win over the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters over six scoreless innings.
Morton was sharp in the start, at one point retiring 10 straight batters and never allowing a runner to reach third base. The veteran racked up 15 swinging strikes and tied a season high with 10 punchouts while recording his second straight scoreless appearance. In his previous start -- a win over the Mets -- Morton walked seven batters, but he was much more in control Wednesday, issuing just one free pass. He's showing that he still has gas in the tank in his age-39 campaign, holding a 3.54 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 146:66 K:BB through 134.2 innings.
Braves' Charlie Morton: Victorious in strange outing
Rotowire
Morton (11-10) allowed three hits and seven walks over five scoreless innings Friday, striking out four and earning a win over the Mets.
Morton threw just 52 of 105 pitches for strikes and struggled with his command all night, but New York couldn't take advantage. He'd coughed up 16 runs over his previous four starts but dropped his ERA back down to 3.71 after Friday's win. Since the start of July, the veteran right-hander's recorded a 3.50 ERA with a 36:26 K:BB through 43.2 innings. Morton's expected to face the Yankees at home next week.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Yields five runs in short start
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Morton (10-10) allowed five runs on four hits and four walks while striking out four over 4.1 innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Cubs.
Morton's skid continued, as he's given up 16 runs over 19.2 innings during his four-start losing streak. He's also posted a 17:15 K:BB in that span, though he's had trouble with walks (4.2 BB/9) all season. Overall, the right-hander is at a 3.86 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 132:58 K:BB through 123.2 innings over 22 starts. He's projected for a road start against the Mets his next time out.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Fans eight in loss
Rotowire
Morton (10-9) took the loss against the Angels on Monday, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight batters over six innings.
Morton allowed plenty of traffic on the basepaths, but it was the long ball that did him in -- all three runs against the veteran came on solo home runs. Despite his trouble keeping the ball in the park, Morton was able to turn in a respectable outing, racking up 23 swinging strikes and eight punchouts while picking up his ninth quality start of the campaign. The 39-year-old has lost each of his past three starts, but he's been an asset overall this season, collecting 10 wins while posting a 3.62 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 128:54 K:BB over 119.1 innings.
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Braves' Charlie Morton: Bounced by BoSox
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Morton (10-8) took the loss Tuesday, giving up four runs on six hits and five walks over 3.2 innings as Atlanta fell 7-1 to the Red Sox. He struck out only one.
Rain delayed the start of the game by over an hour and a half, and Morton was clearly out of sync when he finally got on the mound, tossing only 47 of 80 pitches and issuing a season-high five free passes before getting the hook. The 39-year-old right-hander's 1.42 WHIP on the year is his worst mark since his days with the Pirates over a decade ago, but Morton has been able to maintain a respectable 3.57 ERA thanks to a 47.1 percent GB% and 10.2 percent HR/FB%. He'll try to rebound in his next outing, which is likely to come at home early next week against the Angels.
Braves' Charlie Morton: Falters against Diamondbacks
Rotowire
Morton (10-7) took the loss against Arizona on Wednesday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four batters over 5.2 innings.
Morton had notched a victory in each of his previous five appearances coming into Wednesday, but that streak came to an end again Arizona. The veteran hurler surrendered his most runs since the Mets tagged him for four nearly six weeks ago, though he did manage to keep the ball in the park for the fourth time in his past five outings. Morton's season 1.37 WHIP is in line to be his worst over a full season since 2015, but he's still managed to put together a strong campaign with a 3.36 ERA and 119:46 K:BB over 109.2 frames through 19 starts.
