Oakland pitcher Brandon McCarthy is released from the hospital

Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who suffered a fractured skull when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Angels shortstop Erick Aybar last week, was released from a Bay Area hospital late Tuesday.

The 29-year-old McCarthy underwent two hours of surgery Sept. 5 after a ball struck the right side of his head. He had an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull 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,” McCarthy said in a statement released by the A’s. “We could not have been in better hands.”

The A’s said that McCarthy will remain in the Bay Area for the next three weeks and hopes to return to the majors next season.

“I think it’s great. He’s made some big strides here in a few days and we’re all very happy that he’s home,” A’s Manager Bob Melvin said.

“I was reflecting on when I was there at the hospital, like, ‘How did we get here?’ I mean, he comes off the mound and it looked like we dodged one because he was feeling OK. And in the clubhouse an inning later, it was the same type of thing. Then the next thing you know, he’s having brain surgery,” Melvin said. “So it was surreal — very surreal — the fact that he’s made quick progress as he has, and now he’s at home. It’s quite a relief to everybody here.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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