P Morton agrees to stay with Braves

The Atlanta Braves locked up another key player for next season, announcing a $20 million, oneyear deal for pitcher Charlie Morton on Monday.

The contract includes a $20 million club option for 2023 with no buyout.

The 37- year- old righthander has been a stalwart of the rotation for the firstplace Braves, going 13-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 28 starts.

Morton leads the team in wins and has provided leadership in a rotation that includes Max Fried and a pair of 23-year-olds, Ian Anderson and Huascar Ynoa.

The deal comes 2½ weeks after the Braves reached a similar, low-risk move with catcher Travis d’Arnaud. He agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract beginning next season, with an $8 million club option for 2024 that doesn’t have a buyout.

The Braves signed Morton to a one-year, $15 million contract in free agency after he helped Tampa Bay reach the 2020 World Series. He also has played for the Pirates and Houston Astros.

Indians

Cleveland manager Terry Francona will undergo surgery on his left big toe on Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic. The 62-year-old Francona stepped down for the season July 29 and had hip replacement surgery a few days later. He has been doing rehab work at Progressive Field and watched a few games at the ballpark with members of the front office. Francona had surgery for a staph infection in his toe in February and wore a walking boot while managing this season. The rehab for Tuesday’s surgery is expected to take eight to 10 weeks. Francona is in his ninth season with the Indians and has had a winning record each year, advancing to the World Series in 2016. He is a two-time World Series champion with Boston.

Mets

Manager Luis Rojas said Monday right-hander Jacob deGrom (forearm tightness) threw from just over 100 feet. “We’ll see how he responds,” Rojas said of the two-time Cy Young Award winner. “It’s the first time he’s gone up to that. When he’s about the 120-150 range, then they start talking more about mound work. Let’s get to that first and then we’ll probably have a date or know if he’s going to be OK to let the ball go with the entire mechanics of his throw.”