Is it time for O’Malley to be the Mariners’ regular shortstop?

Published 7:30 pm Tuesday, August 16, 2016

By Bob Dutton

The News Tribune

ANAHEIM, Calif. — At what point do the Seattle Mariners decide performance outweighs potential as they seek to mount a postseason push over the season’s final six-plus weeks?

The Mariners are 16-6 when utilityman Shawn O’Malley starts at shortstop after Sunday’s 8-4 victory at Oakland — a victory in which O’Malley contributed two singles and a walk in four plate appearances.

Ketel Marte started again Tuesday at shortstop after going hitless Monday in four at-bats, which left him 2-for-19 in five games since returning from a 20-day absence for mononucleosis.

“Ketel got sick,” manager Scott Servais said, “and we’ve got to do everything we can to get him rolling again. But we also understand where we’re at in the season. I think we’re going to need both of the guys to contribute.”

O’Malley is batting .310 with a .355 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage over his last 19 games, which roughly corresponds to when he began getting regular playing time in Marte’s absence.

“It’s been fun,” O’Malley said. “I’m just enjoying it. I don’t take any days for granted. You don’t know how long it’s going to last. Or it could last another 12 years. But I’m just enjoying it, doing my part.”

While Marte’s post-mono slump represents a small sample size, it’s notable that O’Malley rates more than a full victory better for the entire season in the wins above replacement (WAR) metric as computed by www.baseball-reference.

Most telling, perhaps, Marte’s season-long defensive metrics are only marginally better than what O’Malley rates as a shortstop — and it was concerns over O’Malley’s skills at short that kept him from making the roster on opening day.

“His (improvement) hasn’t gone unnoticed,” Servais said. “It’s how he plays, as much as the numbers. He’s the down-and-dirty, gritty, doesn’t-show-up-in-the-boxscore guy. We need a few of those guys out there. Every good team has them.”

The recent move to option outfielder Guillermo Heredia back to Triple-A Tacoma created an opening for a right-handed hitter outfielder — O’Malley is a switch-hitter — as a complement to Nori Aoki or as a late-inning replacement.

“O’Malley gives us a little more positional versatility,” Servais said. “He can run out there (to other positions), and we can have Marte in the lineup at the same time. O’Malley has earned the right to continue to play.

“He’ll get some outfield. He will get some shortstop.”

Earlier in the season, the Mariners might have sent Marte back to the minors to allow him to play every day while sharpening his skills. At this point, though, there are only two weeks remaining before rosters can expand to as many as 40 players.

But while Marte figures to stay around, it will be interesting to watch how playing time is distributed over the final 45 games.

For his part, O’Malley will take what comes.

“I’m just trying to treat (every day) like another game,” he said, “and not put too much pressure on myself. Have competitive at-bats. Put the barrel on the ball and whatever happens, happens.

“Obviously, the more playing time, and the more I practice, the more comfortable I’m going to feel and the more confident I’ll feel.”