Morton had retired back-to-back hitters despite taking a 102 mph one-hopper off the bat of Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel and reacted the way pitchers normally do after absorbing hard comebackers that cause only temporary pain.
Before Game 1 of the World Series concluded — with a 6-2 victory by a Braves team that scored five runs within the first three innings — Morton had been taken to a local imaging center, where he was fitted for a boot.
I really hate it for him because I know he’s really looking forward to this run with us.
The Braves’ initial plans to move on began almost immediately after Gurriel’s grounder struck Morton’s leg and bounced in the direction of first base for a fortunate out.
Minter ultimately threw 43 pitches, more than he ever had in his career, and came within an out of completing three innings for only the second time.
The 37-year-old right-hander went 14-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 185⅔ regular-season innings and was appearing in his third World Series — with his third different team — in a five-year span.
Marcell Ozuna, signed to a four-year, $65 million contract over the offseason, has been away from the team since late May after police arrested him for allegedly assaulting his wife.