Brandon McCarthy expected to start throwing next month

Brandon McCarthy's recovery from brain surgery is going smoothly, and the right-hander is expected to start throwing again next month, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

After passing his latest tests to return from a gruesome comebacker, right-hander Brandon McCarthy is expected to start throwing in December. Despite the brain surgery that ended his season, the greater worry among teams with McCarthy concerns his troublesome shoulder. If McCarthy's medicals pass muster, one executive believes McCarthy could receive a multiyear contract.

In his two seasons with the Oakland Athletics, McCarthy has a 3.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and has struck out four times as many batters as he's walked. The one thing that could hurt McCarthy is he's only pitched 111 and 170 2/3 innings during those seasons.

The rumor mill has been quiet in concerns to McCarthy, but that could change quickly if he can show positive signs once he starts throwing again. The majority of organizations are looking for starting pitching, and McCarthy could be an attractive, more realistically priced option for mid- to small-market teams.

McCarthy's season ended with the line drive to the head, but he had previously spend two different stints on the disabled list due to a strained shoulder. He also missed time in 2011 due to shoulder issues.