Brandon McCarthy shows good signs

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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy is alert after having surgery for a skull fracture and brain contusion caused by a line drive.

The Oakland right-hander was hit in the head Wednesday by a liner off the bat of Erick Aybar of the Los Angeles Angels.

The Athletics said Thursday that McCarthy was awake, resting comfortably in the critical care unit of a Bay Area hospital and showing signs of improvement.

A CT scan after the accident showed the damage. After a second CT scan, the 29-year-old McCarthy had a two-hour operation to relieve pressure in his head.

The A's did not give a timetable for how long McCarthy will be out. Oakland went into the day tied for the AL wild-card lead.

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

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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