McCarthy was discharged from California Pacific Medical Campus
Last Wednesday on the mound in his home ballpark, Brandon McCarthy was the center of one of the scariest on-field moments ever seen in the modern era of Major League Baseball.
The 29-year-old right-hander was hit in the head by a line drive from Los Angeles Angels’ infielder Erick Aybar and suffered an epidural hemorrhage, a brain contusion and a skull fracture. He crumpled to the ground but several minutes later left the field under his own power. McCarthy then had a two-hour surgery to relieve pressure in his head, treat the hemorrhage and stabilize the fracture.
“From the bottom of our hearts, [my wife] Amanda and I want to thank everyone who was involved in responding to and treating my injury, starting with Dr. Weber and all the team’s medical personnel from doctors Allan Pont, Elliott Schwartz and Jon Dickinson to the Oakland A’s athletic trainers, as well as the other physicians and nurses who were on duty around the clock in the Critical Care Unit at California Pacific,” McCarthy said in the statement. “We feel the same way about the ambulance driver and those who first met us at the hospital. We could not have been in better hands.
“We also want to express our deep appreciation to our teammates, manager [Bob Melvin] and coaching staff for their concern and encouragement during the uncertain times, and also want to thank all the A’s fans who wished us well. It’s times like these when you realize you have an extended family, and feel so fortunate. Now we look forward to continuing the healing process, and returning to baseball and our normal lives in the weeks and months ahead. Go A’s!”
McCarthy is 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 starts for the A’s, which at 80-60 entering Tuesday’s action hold the top wild card spot in the American League and trail Texas by just three games in the American League West.
Though McCarthy’s life and health are more important than what happens on the field, the game must go on and the A’s are better equipped to lose a starting pitcher than most teams. Oakland has been buoyed by the return of left-hander Brett Anderson, and the solid rotation also includes Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily.
