Brandon McCarthy has been one of the best pitchers on the upstart Oakland Athletics this season. However, he suffered an extremely scary moment on Wednesday as a line drive back up the middle hit him directly in the head. McCarthy left the game after the play.
The A’s are right in the thick of the playoff hunt, so losing McCarthy for any amount of time would be absolutely devastating. He was able to get up and walk off the field under his own power, but he was taken to a local hospital for precautionary measures. The way it looks, he is extremely lucky on this play.
There have been players that have taken liners to the head and they have never been the same. Concussions are an ever present worry in today’s game and they can absolutely ruin a career. Take a look at a guy like Matt Clement. His career was probably never the greatest but he had a respectable one going. He took a liner to the face and was never the same again.
Hopefully we get good news about McCarthy soon. Right now, his health is the most important thing. If he is able to return quickly and help the A’s, that would be gravy at this point. Making sure that he can return to full strength and pitch down the road is important, but not as important as his immediate health.
Baseball can be a very scary game. It is often amazing that things like this do not happen more often.
Riley Schmitt is a writer for Rant Sports.
