A’s McCarthy alert after surgery for skull fracture

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland 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 McCarthy 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 and McCarthy is currently resting in the hospital.

The A’s did not give a timetable for how long McCarthy will be out.

“Our first concern is Brandon’s health, and we are heartened to learn he has shown progress in his recovery after surgery,” general manager Billy Beane said. “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. ... Brandon remains in everyone’s thoughts as we wish him a speedy recovery.”

The A’s traveled to Seattle on Thursday where they will begin a three-game series on Friday against the Mariners. Oakland went into the day tied for the AL wild-card lead with Baltimore after being swept in a three-game series against the Angels.

McCarthy is 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 starts.

The A’s also announced on Thursday that third baseman Brandon Inge was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder. Inge will have season-ending surgery on the shoulder.