By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Oakland, CA

Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy was "alert, awake and has shown signs of improvement" after undergoing surgery due to a fractured skull sustained from a line drive Wednesday.

"We are heartened to learn he has shown progress in his recovery after surgery," A's vice president and general manager Billy Beane said in a statement. "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."

McCarthy took Erick Aybar's screaming line drive off his head with two outs in the fourth inning of an eventual 7-1 loss to the Angels.

He eventually walked off the mound under his own power but was taken to Oakland's Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, where a CAT scan revealed the extent of his injuries, before he was taken to another hospital, where he underwent surgery around 9 p.m.

He underwent a two-hour operation to evacuate an epidural hemorrhage and stabilize the skull fracture. He also sustained a brain contusion. The surgery has ended McCarthy's season and the injury put his playing career in doubt.

The 29-year-old McCarthy had a CAT scan that showed the epidural hemorrhage had subsided. An epidural hemorrhage is the accumulation of blood between the skull and the hard layer of skin between the bone and the brain, and it's believed to be the injury that killed actress Natasha Richardson after a skiing accident.

Tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the American League wild-card lead, the A's have not announced McCarthy in the rotation. They begin a seven-game trip Friday against the Seattle Mariners.

"As we travel to Seattle today, Brandon remains in everyone's thoughts as we wish him a speedy recovery," Beane said.

Aybar, for his part, made the effort to get McCarthy's phone number and planned on calling the pitcher.

"You feel really bad. He's a good guy," Aybar said. "You never want to hit anybody over the head, and he's a good guy. Hopefully everything turns out all right and, God willing, that he gets better soon."

 

A's McCarthy Alert and Awake After Surgery Due to Fractured Skull