Oakland A’s starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy was struck in the head by a line drive off he bat of Erick Aybar, of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, during Wednesday’s game.
McCarthy sat up and moved around after being hit, and even walked off under his own power after being taken out of the game. He was brought to a nearby hospital, where he underwent “two hours of surgery to relieve pressure on his brain late Wednesday night,” according to the Associated Press. Various reports came out after the surgery that McCarthy suffered a fractured skull, brain contusion and bleeding within the head.
A's athletic trainer Nick Paparesta was asked if the situation is life-threatening, according to the same AP report, and Paparesta said all procedures involving the brain are life-threatening as at any moment there could be a complication. In that same AP report early Saturday morning, Paparesta also said “McCarthy got out of bed three times, sat up in a chair, ate solid foods, recognized visitors, and although he can talk, he isn't talking yet because of continued pain.”
McCarthy is one of the most popular MLB players on Twitter, and he updated his account Saturday afternoon for the time time since being hit. McCarthy, who is well known on social media for his sense of humor, tweeted, “The good news in all of this, is that I set up my fantasy lineups beforehand. So there shall be no excuses at this point.”
The incident has brought back up the discussion of whether or not pitchers should be forced, or at least allowed, to wear protective head gear while on the mound. Options are something similar to a batting helmet, or the face masks worn by youth softball players.
Do you think major league pitchers should start wearing protective head gear?
