MLB

Oakland’s McCarthy alert after surgery for skull fracture

The Associated Press | Thursday, September 6, 2012 9:02 p.m

Oakland Athletics catcher Derek Norris, left, comes to the aid of pitcher Brandon McCarthy (32) who was hit in the head by a ball hit by Los Angeles Angels' Erick Aybar in the fourth inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Oakland, Calif. (AP)

OAKLAND, Calif. — Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy was in stable condition in the critical care unit of a Bay Area hospital on Thursday, a day after having surgery for a skull fracture and brain contusion caused by a line drive.

McCarthy was hit in the right side of the head Wednesday by a line drive off the bat of Erick Aybar of the Los Angeles Angels. He was knocked down by the shot and hit his head on the ground. The 29-year-old eventually walked off the field under his own power and was taken to the hospital for further tests and observation.

A CT scan after the accident showed McCarthy had an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull fracture. McCarthy was transferred to another hospital and had a second CT scan. He then underwent two hours of surgery Wednesday night to relieve pressure in his head.

A CT scan taken Thursday showed improvement from the previous scans. The A’s did not give a timetable for how long McCarthy will be out. He is 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 starts.

Categories: MLB

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