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Brandon McCarthy (head) throws to hitters
Brandon McCarthy - S - Arizona Diamondbacks
Feb. 19, 2013 - 11:05 AM ET

Brandon McCarthy threw to hitters Monday for the first time since he fractured his skull when he was hit in the head by a line drive last September.

"It honestly is completely normal," said McCarthy, who threw behind a protective screen like most of his other teammates. "Anything you would have thought might have been there wasn't. I was more nervous about where my command was at, where my stuff was at." Coming off a quality 3.29 ERA in 43 starts over the past two seasons, McCarthy landed a two-year, $15.5 million contract with the Diamondbacks over the winter. Considering his past shoulder issues and the move to a tougher home ballpark, he could be overvalued in fantasy drafts this spring.