O'Malley will be out two to three weeks in his recovery.
PEORIA, Ariz. — Shawn O’Malley’s fight to win the utility spot on the 25-man roster appears to be over.  The team announced that O’Malley will undergo an appendectomy some time on Tuesday evening.
O’Malley arrived at the Mariners complex and complained of stomach cramps and discomfort in his side. He was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with appendicitis. The good news for O’Malley was that the appendix had not burst, which requires an emergency surgery that is much more invasive.
Still, the recovery from a routine appendectomy is roughly two to three weeks before being back to full activities. It effectively ends the competition between O’Malley and Taylor Motter for that utility role. It was a competition that Motter seemed to be leading going into the final few weeks of the spring.
O’Malley had done nothing to lose the battle this spring. He had played well, showing he was more than capable of handlinf any position asked of him. He also has the trust of manager Scott Servais, having played well when called upon last season. The Mariners had considered the outside possibility of carrying both Motter and O’Malley on the roster to maximize the team’s versatility.