A’s McCarthy Has Skull Fracture, Done for Season

September 5, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy (32) falls after being hit in the head on a line drive by Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar (not pictured) during the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIREThe Oakland Athletics are in the middle of the playoff hunt and are already down a starter after the suspension of Bartolo Colon. Now they have another spot to fill as they have likely lost Brandon McCarthy for the season.

For those of you living under a rock yesterday, the lanky right-hander was hit on the side of the head by a line-drive off the bat of Erick Aybar during Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. Josh Donaldson was able to make the play and throw Aybar out at first base, but attention quickly turned to McCarthy, who remained on the ground for several minutes after being struck.

McCarthy never lost consciousness and would eventually leave the field on his own volition.

Now, the Athletics have released a press statement reporting that McCarthy suffered a fractured skull from the batted ball and was forced to undergo surgery on Wednesday night. The procedure was performed to epidural hemmorage in the brain area and repair the fracture. An epidural hemorrhage is the accumulation of blood between the skull and the hard layer of skin between the bone and the brain.

Because of the surgery, McCarthy’s season is likely over, as concern for his long-term health outweigh the team’s short-term baseball interests. The 29-year-old right hander is 8-6 on the season with a 3.24 ERA and 73 strike-outs over 111 innings pitched. He is third-year arbitration eligible at the end of the 2012 season.

For those that missed the shot, here is the video courtesy of Major League Baseball.