Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy
underwent surgery Wednesday night at a Bay Area hospital after being hit in
the head by a line drive.
The incident occurred in the fourth inning of Wednesday's game against the Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim. McCarthy took a line drive to the head off the bat
of Erick Aybar.
Following the injury, McCarthy was taken to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center,
where a CT Scan revealed an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull
fracture. Later in the evening, he was transferred to a nearby hospital, where
a neurosurgeon performed a second CT scan and clinical examination, and
surgery was recommended to relieve pressure from McCarthy's head.
A CT Scan taken Thursday afternoon demonstrated improvement from his previous
scan, and the epidural hemorrhage had subsided. McCarthy is currently resting
in the critical care unit of the hospital.
"Our first concern is Brandon's health, and we are heartened to learn he has
shown progress in his recovery after surgery," said Billy Beane, the A's vice
president and general manager. "We are glad to report he is stable, awake and
alert. The team will provide further updates as they become available in the
coming days. We would ask members of the media to respect the privacy of
Brandon and his family during this time. As we travel to Seattle today,
Brandon remains in everyone's thoughts as we wish him a speedy recovery."
McCarthy is 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 games this season.
The Sports Network