Charlie Morton’s Braves season likely finished

What was initially going to be a missed start is probably going to be missing the rest of the season for pitcher Charlie Morton.

The Braves revealed last week that Morton has been pitching with pain in his shoulder blade. He has received multiple cortisone shots, but they are bringing him less and less relief.

“We might not pitch him,” manager Bobby Cox said. “It feels like it’s a rib; it’s bothering him.”

It’s not lost on the organization either that Morton has pitched 151 2/3 innings this season — 72 2/3 in Atlanta and 79 for Richmond — the most of his career. So the rest wouldn’t hurt him.

The Braves have a decent idea of what they’ve got in him now after his 15 starts, going 4-8 with a 6.32 ERA. He has pitched in the extremes — like his seven shutout innings in Arizona on the one hand and giving up eight runs in 32/3 innings to St. Louis on the other.

“He was really impressive in a lot of his starts in the big leagues,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said. “Like a lot of young pitchers, he’s got to work on the process of becoming consistent. Charlie has shown he has the potential to do that.”

Rookie James Parr has made two starts in Morton’s place in the rotation and will likely continue that for the last 2 1/2 weeks of the season.

That’s working out well for Parr, who hasn’t allowed a run in 12 innings over two major-league starts.

“He’s making a statement for me for next season,” Bobby Cox said. “He throws a lot of strikes. He’s not afraid to elevate the ball if he needs to get a strikeout or a pop-up. I’m impressed with his knowledge out there on the rubber. … I think this kid, for 22, is ahead of the game.”

Going international?

Wren traveled to Toyko last week to gauge some of the talent in Japan. Among the players he saw was 22-year-old pitching prospect Junichi Tazawa, a 5-foot-11 right-hander with a mid-90s fastball.

Among other teams reportedly interested in Tazawa are the Red Sox, Mets and Tigers.