Charlie Morton to have surgery, out for season

Former Pirates starter Charlie Morton will have surgery on his left hamstring next week, the Phillies have announced. He will miss six to eight months, meaning he'll be out for the rest of the season. He tore the hamstring in his last start.

Morton, of course, spent parts of seven seasons with the Bucs, during which he was occasionally terrific and often very frustrating, before they sent him to Philadelphia last winter in a somewhat controversial salary-dumping trade. Morton clearly isn't an outstanding pitcher, but the Pirates plainly could have used extra rotation help. Maybe the hamstring tear was inevitable, or maybe it wouldn't have happened if he'd stayed with the Bucs. In any case, it looks like he won't be particularly helpful to anyone for the rest of the season.

Morton has a mutual option for 2017, so after this injury, he's pretty likely to become a free agent after the season. His next start, whenever he makes it, could be with yet another new team. Here's wishing him the best in his recovery.