O'Malley (appendectomy) returned to the clubhouse Wednesday after his Tuesday surgery, The Seattle Times reports.
O'Malley had been locked in a spirited spring battle with Taylor Motter and Mike Freeman for the utility role, but given the timing of his surgery and subsequent recovery, he's almost certain to start the season at Triple-A Tacoma. The most likely recovery timetable is 2-3 weeks, which pushes his return past Opening Day. Despite the fact he may have lost out on a roster spot for the time being, the impression he left with his play this spring was a lasting one, which could serve his chances of returning to the big league club later in the season. "He's played very well (this spring),'' manager Scott Servais said of O'Malley who has hit .278 in 36 at-bats. "Done a nice job at shortstop and wherever we've put him. We all know what Shawn brings. It's the high energy, great effort every time he's out there, whether it's a spring training 'B' game or we put him in late in a game in a big-league game."