Charlie Morton Injury: Braves Pitcher Fractures Fibula, Ruled out of 2021 World Series

The MLB Season for Atlanta Braves right-hander Charlie Morton has been ended as the player has been ruled out of the remaining game of the 2021 World Series following an injury. Charlie Morton saw his night end at 44 pitches after an awkward follow-through on a pitch in the bottom of the third inning. At the time of writing, the Atlanta Braves were leading Houston Astros 5-1 in the middle of the 7th innings. 

What Happened to Charlie Morton

Morton nearly fell to the mound after striking out Houston Astros' second baseman Jose Altuve with a curveball for the first out of the third inning. Charlie Morton injury occurred when he was struck in the shin area by a Yuli Gurriel batted ball earlier in the night. Despite the hit Charlie Morton initially stayed in the game and faced three batters and struck out two of them. However, he was replaced by left-hander AJ Minter after being brought off the field.

Charlie Morton's injury update

The Atlanta Braves in a tweet  gave Charlie Morton's injury update, informing that the right-hander had gone through the X-rays which revealed the right fibula fracture injury. The tweet further stated that Morton will not be available for the remainder of the World Series but is expected to be ready for Spring Training in 2022.

For Morton, the start during the 2021 World Series was the third of his career and fourth overall appearance. He previously had the chance to pitch in the Fall Classic with the 2017 Houston Astros (who won the title) and the 2020 Tampa Bay Rays (who did not). During Game 1, Morton completed 2 ⅓ innings while surrendering no runs on a hit and two walks after he escaped a bases-loaded situation in the first inning. He had also struck out three batters. 

Talking about Charlie Morton's season with the Atlanta Braves, the pitcher led the Braves with 185 2/3 innings pitched across 33 starts during the regular season. The two-time All-Star tallied a 3.34 ERA, 1.045 WHIP and a 14-6 record in the regular season while recording a team-high 216 strikeouts alongside 58 walks.