March 02--Matt Murton was moving briskly around the Cubs clubhouse Wednesday morning, and he was cautiously optimistic he could return to full duty soon after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on Saturday.
"As long as there are no hiccups, the (medical staff) said the recovery could be as fast as you want it to be."
Murton, 34, who is trying to make the Cubs opening day roster as a non-roster invitee after playing six seasons in Japan, started to feel discomfort Thursday night but felt well enough to practice Friday.
But that evening, Murton started to feel nauseous and took antacid tablets, only to wake up Saturday morning and notice that the pain shifted from his left to right side.
"A few hours later I was in the operating room getting appendix taken out," Murton said.
Murton returned to the Cubs' camp on Monday and has been increasing more activity.
