During the 4th inning of the Athletics - Angels game, A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy was hit in the head by a comeback liner off the bat of Erick Aybar. McCarthy got up under his own power but was sent to the hospital.
The A's said Wednesday night he was conscious and doing well, but doctors wanted him to stay overnight for further observation and he would not travel with the team to Seattle on Thursday. Those were the details released by the Athletics after the game.
On Thursday morning the A's sent-out this press release:
Brandon McCarthy, the A’s pitcher who was struck on the right side of his head with a batted ball during yesterday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, underwent surgery last night at a Bay Area hospital. McCarthy, 29, is alert, awake and resting comfortably, and has shown signs of improvement today.
After the incident occurred in the fourth inning yesterday, the A’s pitcher 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.
The two-hour surgery was performed at approximately 9 p.m., with the procedure including the evacuation of an epidural hemorrhage and stabilization of the skull fracture. Another CT Scan taken at 12:30 p.m. today 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.”
This is the latest update from A's beat writer Susan Slusser:
Dr. Geoffrey Manley, the vice chairman of neurological surgery at UCSF, said he saw a replay of the line drive hitting McCarthy's head. He said that typically, when an object strikes that temporal area with enough force to cause a fracture, the bone fragments cut the middle meningeal artery, causing a hematoma, or bleeding that creates pressure on the brain.
"If you are not treated for this, you could die, but if you're treated rapidly, you usually have a very, very good recovery," Manley said. "That is why people need to be evaluated promptly. Most patients who have this kind of injury return to a normal life. I have treated other athletes with similar injuries who have returned to playing sports."
Manley, who was in charge of Bryan Stow's treatment after a beating in the Dodger Stadium parking lot left Stow in a coma last year, said that he has had patients leave the hospital four or five days after surgery for epidural hematomas. Before any major physical activity, however, the fracture must heal, which can take months.
"He might not be back the rest of the season," Manley said, "but I don't think this would preclude him from playing baseball."
Oakland RHP Dan Straily, who went 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three starts with Oakland last month, has joined the A's in Seattle and likely will take McCarthy's spot in the rotation, giving the team four rookie starters.
The HBWHOF wishes Brandon McCarthy a full and speedy recovery.
Both Brandon, and his beautiful wife Amanda, are in our prayers.
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