Brandon McCarthy Suffered A Skull Fracture, An Epidural Hemorrhage And A Brain Contusion

Yikes. When A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy took this line drive to the side of the head yesterday, we hoped for the best. He was able to sit up, then stand, then make his way off the field. The team said he never lost consciousness.

Today, Oakland released a statement on McCarthy's condition, revealing that he underwent two hours of surgery last night after CT scans showed a few problems.

The Athletics' full statement:

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."