As Charlie Morton continues to recover from a fractured fibula, the veteran righty said last week that he is “mostly caught up” to where he’d be physically at this point in a normal offseason, The Athletic’s David O’Brien writes. Morton did caution that he wouldn’t know for sure until he actually got back to regular action in a spring training environment, but for now, all seems well for Morton as he approaches his 15th major league season. Still in fine form last year, Morton was a big contributor to the Braves’ championship team, but the righty’s participation in the World Series was limited to just 2 1/3 innings after he was hit in the leg by a ball off the bat of Yuli Gurriel during Game 1. Three of Morton’s seven outs were recorded after the injury, as Morton gutted out the pain as long as he could.
Assuming Morton is healthy, he’ll represent one fewer question mark for an Atlanta roster that is already largely set (with the obvious exception of first base and the Freddie Freeman situation). With the lockout now forcing some type of shortened or even a rushed spring training, this could play to the Braves’ favor, as they already have a familiar chemistry between the coaching staff and the players, plus most of the World Series-winning core group will be returning.
More from the NL East…
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!