Alarms went off across Braves Country when Charlie Morton did not return to the mound after tossing a scoreless first inning with what the Braves have announced as an injury to his right index finger.
I’m no doctor and we have no further details, but it at least sounds like something that isn’t too serious. Hopefully, this move was done out of an abundance of caution.
The Braves have essentially wrapped up everything they need to in the regular season. They’ve clinched the NL East and a first-round bye, and are 4.5 games up on the Dodgers with nine games to play entering today.
It goes without saying, losing Charlie Morton would be detrimental to the Braves chances in the postseason. He’s one of the best #3 starters in the league, which is a clear advantage the Braves have over other teams in the NL. Morton also has more postseason experience than just about anyone else in baseball. I’m not even sure where the Braves would turn without him, but let’s hope we don’t have to find out.
More must-reads: