Morton put on IL, adding to Atlanta’s ailing arms

The Atlanta Braves placed right-hander Charlie Morton on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right index finger inflammation.

The move is retroactive to Saturday as Morton left Friday night’s start against the Washington Nationals in the first inning.

Morton walked two batters and left the game due to discomfort in his finger after throwing 24 pitches in the first inning. He hopes to be ready for the postseason.

“This is more a question about effectiveness,” Morton said Friday night. “I can pitch. I can go out there and pitch but the next start I make is probably going to be in the postseason, if I had to guess. It’s not a game in late May or early August. It’s going to be the biggest of the season. That’s where the frustration comes in and the question mark comes in.”

In 30 starts, the 39-year-old is 14-12 with a 3.64 ERA and is second on the team in strikeouts with 183.

In a corresponding roster move, Atlanta recalled RHP Allan Winans from Triple-A Gwinnett and he will start Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Nats.

The Braves earlier this week placed starter Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his left index finger. However, manager Brian Snitker said Fried can continue to throw and believes the left-hander will be ready to start when the playoffs begin.

Fried, 29, is 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts. He struck out 80 batters and walked 18 in 77⅔ innings. Fried, the Cy Young Award runner-up in 2022, missed about three months of this season with a strained left forearm.

Atlanta has clinched the National League East and entered Sunday with the best record in baseball at 99-55.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.