He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays.

[2] He was raised in Trumbull, Connecticut, playing little league baseball with future major leaguers pitcher Craig Breslow and infielder Jamie D'Antona.

[3] Morton grew up attending ballgames at Yankee Stadium and idolizing Derek Jeter and Roger Clemens.

[5] On June 3, 2009, the Braves traded Morton with Gorkys Hernández and Jeff Locke to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Nate McLouth.

His 2009 record in 18 starts was 5 wins and 9 losses, a 4.55 ERA, 97 innings pitched and 62 strikeouts, 40 walks, 7 home runs, 5 hit batsmen, .276 average against, and a 1.46 WHIP.

However, Morton delivered a promising performance on April 30, 2010, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out 8 in six innings of work while allowing six runs (only three earned).

A day after suffering his 9th loss against the Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates placed him on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue.

At the end of last year, I finished strong, I got a glimpse of what I could do, truly, in the big leagues, going out there and going deep into games, being competitive, and being someone who was pretty good.

On his final start of the 2010 season, Morton compiled his finest pitching performance of the year striking out a career-high nine batters in a 2–0 loss to the Florida Marlins on October 2.

On May 18, again at Great American Ball Park, Morton threw a complete game shutout, striking out 5 and giving up 5 hits.

[12] Following the season, Morton underwent successful hip surgery to repair a torn labrum in October 2011 with a full recovery expected in 4–6 months.

During the 2015 spring training, Morton struggled thoroughly and began to experience inflammation in his recently surgically repaired hip.

[17] His season came to an abrupt end on April 23, 2016, when Morton suffered a hamstring injury running to first base in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers and was placed on the disabled list the next day.

[21] On October 21, he won Game 7 of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park, pitching five shutout innings with five strikeouts, sending the Astros to the World Series.

[22] Morton started Game 4 of the World Series and pitched well over 6.1 innings giving up one earned run on 3 hits and 7 strikeouts in an eventual Astros loss.

[23] Three years later, it was revealed in the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal that the team had broken MLB rules during the 2017 season.

[31] Morton started the American League Wild Card Game against the Oakland Athletics, receiving a win in five innings of work.

[34] On October 30, 2020, the Rays declined their $15 million team option on his contract for the 2021 season, and he was declared a free agent.

At the time the Rays made their decision, it was reported that they were looking for a "creative" way to re-sign Morton as a free agent for the following year.

The injury occurred in the previous inning when Astros batter Yuli Gurriel hit a ball directly into Morton's leg.

Initially believing he was unharmed, Morton continued to pitch, completing 16 more pitches—including a strikeout of former MVP Jose Altuve—before removing himself from the game.

[49] On June 28, 2024, Morton became the 22nd pitcher in MLB history to record a win against all 30 teams, following a scoreless outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

[50] On August 13, 2024, Morton became the 89th pitcher in MLB history to reach the 2,000 strikeout mark when he struck out Mike Yastrzemski in the bottom of the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants.

[56] Pirates special assistant Jim Benedict had previously encouraged Morton to emulate Halladay's delivery during spring training.

Morton featured his new sinker almost exclusively in his first starts of the 2011 season and it resulted in an increased groundball rate but also more bases on balls.

"[57][58][59] In the 2015 offseason, a frustrated Morton began experimenting with throwing harder, alongside adjustments to his technique and workouts.