Morton long tossing from 175 feet: The Sports Xchange reports Pirates SP Charlie Morton, who is recovering from hip surgery, has extended his long tossing to 175 feet. He and the team remain guardedly optimistic he will be ready to open the season. Even if he isn't, the schedule affords the Pirates a chance to skip a fifth starter in early April. (Updated 02/06/2012)
Injury Report
Hip - Questionable for start of spring training (Updated - 1/8/12)
Fantasy Analysis
Morton went 10-10 with a 3.83 ERA last season, taking a big step forward from 2010, when he went 2-12 with a 7.57 ERA. But despite the improvement, his WHIP was still an ugly 1.53 WHIP, which suggests he had some good luck along the way. He's a hittable pitcher, so he can't afford to walk as many batters as he does. Factor in the injury risk, and Morton is an option better left for NL-only leagues on Draft Day. (Updated 02/06/2012).
Charlie Morton had the season Fantasy owners had been waiting for in 2010 and heads into this year with a lot of expectations. The right-hander won a spot in the rotation out of spring training and went 6-2 with a 2.52 ERA over his first 11 starts. He would struggle a bit down the stretch but still finished with the best numbers of his career. He posted 10 wins with a 3.83 ERA in 29 starts, and a 110-to-77 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 171 2/3 innings. Morton under surgery on his hip in October and is currently on schedule to be ready for spring training but keep an eye on his progress just to be safe. The 28-year-old still walks too many batters to be a viable option in most mixed leagues, but with a low ERA and double-digit wins, he obviously has a place in Fantasy. Target Morton in some deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats on Draft Day. (Updated 1/12/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
= probable start