Brandon McCarthy underwent an MRI on Tuesday, and according to the A's, the test showed no structural damage in his injured right shoulder. He was sent back to the Bay Area on Monday and scratched from his start on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. With no damage in his shoulder, it appears the only solution for the lingering soreness is extra rest. There is no word yet on if McCarthy will hit the disabled list.McCarthy, who is 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA, has already missed 13 games this season (May 18-June 1) with a right shoulder strain. Earlier this season when he went on the DL, he underwent an MRI, the result of which he told me, showed no damage to his throwing shoulder.McCarthy made two starts since being activated from the DL on June 2. He won both of those starts and extended his winning streak to a career-high five games. His last start came against Texas on Thursday. He threw 88 pitches over seven innings, allowing one run, and only giving up three hits. The A's could call up Tyson Ross or Graham Godfrey to take his spot if he has to miss significant time. Godfrey who came up last time McCarthy went on the DL, was just named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week. In his last two starts, he tossed a combined 14 innings, allowing one earned run, and struck out 11. He is 5-0 this season in Triple-A, with a PCL leading 1.05 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. His next turn in the rotation is scheduled to come on Friday.
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