Charlie Morton may have left his World Series start earlier than intended, but the official update regarding his injury makes his 2 1/3 innings even more incredible.
The Atlanta Braves starter hobbled off of the field after striking out Houston Astros star José Altuve to open the third inning. Shortly after, the team announced X-rays revealed he was suffering from a right fibula fracture.
You’re reading that right: Morton struck out one of the Astros’ best players with a broken leg.
He also sent down the other two batters he faced after the injury, striking out Chas McCormick and forcing a lineout from Martín Maldonado.
The injury likely can be traced back to the second inning, when he took a 102.4 mph grounder from Yuri Gurriel off of the ankle. The veteran, who led the majors with 33 starts in the regular season (3.34 ERA) finished the night having allowed one hit, with three strikeouts and two walks.
Morton’s season is done, but the team expects him to return in time for spring training.
Regardless of what happens over the next few games, Morton’s performance will go down in history.
