Oakland pitcher Brandon McCarthy has walked a few steps and is making encouraging progress in his recovery from surgery in a Bay Area hospital after getting hit in the head by a line drive last week.

A’s trainer Nick Paparesta said yesterday McCarthy seems likely to leave the hospital soon. Paparesta had said two days earlier that McCarthy was still in a “life-threatening” situation.

McCarthy was struck by a line drive off the bat of Angels shortstop Erick Aybar.