Mariners notebook: Shawn O’Malley sidelined by appendicitis
Mar 21, 2017, 10:50 PM | Updated: Mar 22, 2017, 10:41 am
Shawn O'Malley hit .229 in 89 games as a utility player last season for the Mariners. (AP)
(AP)
PEORIA Ariz. – Tuesday was rough for Shawn O’Malley, who reported to the Mariners’ complex that morning suffering from stomach cramps. A trip to the hospital revealed that O’Malley had appendicitis. Surgery was scheduled for Tuesday night.
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No timetable has been given for his return but with Opening Day just 13 days away, it would appear that the battle for the utility spot is over. Taylor Motter seemed to have the edge, getting looks in left field and first base as well as shortstop and third in the least week. But O’Malley has had a better spring than his .278 average would indicate, scoring well in the team’s tally of Productive Team Plate Appearances and stealing four bases.
We should learn more Wednesday about how much time O’Malley is expected to miss.
Fun and Games
The long awaited coaches-versus-players PFP (pitcher fielding practice) competition took place on Field 1 before batting practice Tuesday afternoon.
Players vs coaches PFP competition. pic.twitter.com/i0HTPZY3Zs
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) March 21, 2017
There were plenty of laughs as a group of pitchers went up against a group of coaches and staff that included general manager Jerry Dipoto, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., bullpen coach Mike Hampton and special assistant Pete Harnisch. Turns out the work Dipoto put in earlier this spring to get ready for the competition wasn’t a difference-maker for the coaches.
“To use Pete Harnisch’s eloquent quote, ‘Sometimes you are the windshield, sometimes you are the bug,'” Dipoto answered when asked who won. “Today we were the bug.”
While the participants all enjoyed the competition, the bullseye nets – a new addition to camp this year – had a purpose. PFP – where a pitcher fields a ball hit softly to them from a coach and then throws to another coach at first base – has often been seen as one of the more boring drills in spring. Pitchers’ fielding was not a strong point for the Mariners last year, though, and manager Scott Servais wanted to mix things up a bit to get the team’s attention. It certainly did Tuesday.
Roster move
Another day, another roster move. RHP Micah Owings has been re-assigned to minor-league camp. With the move, 45 players remain in Major-League camp – 35 roster players and 10 non-roster invitees.
Cactus League Report
Another edition of The Cactus League Report can be heard on 710 ESPN Seattle from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday. Guests scheduled to join us include Servais, center fielder Leonys Martin, first baseman Daniel Vogelbach, outfielder Ben Gamel and Mariners.com beat writer Greg Johns. If you are in the area, stop by!
