‘I can’t wait to be out there’: Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara talks return from injury
Wednesday can’t come soon enough for Sandy Alcantara. The Miami Marlins’ ace and 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner is more than ready for spring training to formally get underway at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex in Jupiter.
After having to sit out all of last season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Alcantara wants nothing more than the thrill of being back on the mound and doing whatever he can to help the Marlins.
“Everything feels great,” Alcantara said Friday at the Marlins’ media day at loanDepot park. “My arm is good. I can’t wait to be out there.”
It has been a long time coming. Alcantara underwent the surgery on Oct. 6, 2023, shortly after the Marlins’ first-round playoff exit. He has spent the past 16 months rehabbing. He was throwing bullpens and live batting practice sessions by the time the Marlins’ 2024 season came to an end and went through a regular offseason program.
“It was the same as when I was a normal person,” Alcantara said. “Nonstop working every day and trying to get better.”
The motivation is there after not being able to help the Marlins on the field last season as Miami 62-100 — the third-worst record in MLB.
“It was very bad, just being able to watch the games” Alcantara said. “I wasn’t able to compete, and I felt so bad. But right now I just got, I think, positive. ... I was waiting too long to be back, and now I’m here.”
The Marlins know what they will get from Alcantara at his best. From 2020 to 2023, all four seasons in which Alcantara was Miami’s Opening Day starter prior to the injury, Alcantara was one of 19 pitchers to have started 100 games. Of those 19, he threw the most complete games (10) and the second-most innings (661) while holding the fourth-best ERA (3.13) and fifth-best walks and hits per inning pitched (1.088).
He won the NL Cy Young Award in 2022 in unanimous fashion after going 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA, 207 strikeouts and a .212 batting average against in 228 2/3 innings through 32 starts. He pitched six complete games.
“He’s our horse,” starting pitcher Ryan Weathers said. “He’s a machine. He’s 98-100 [mph] every pitch with a good changeup and good breaking ball. Just excited to watch him get going.”
Added first-year Marlins manager Clayton McCullough: “Getting Sandy back is a big boost. That’s a great place to start.”
And as Alcantara prepares for his eighth season with the Marlins, his goal heading into the season hasn’t changed.
“Go deep in the game,” Alcantara said.
That might be easier said than done early. Alcantara acknowledged that his innings will probably be monitored to start the season as he gets back into the flow and rhythm of the season.
“But after that,” Alcantara said, “they’ve gotta let me compete. I think the work that I’ve been doing, my preparation, I know that I’ve been [recovering] from surgery, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’ve just gotta give my 100 percent.”
This and that
▪ Right-handed pitcher Eury Perez, who also missed the 2024 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, said he feels he is at “about 75 percent” heading into spring training. He threw his seventh bullpen of the offseason on Friday and is still targeting the All-Star Break for his return.
▪ McCullough said left-handed reliever Andrew Nardi is “going to be a little bit behind” schedule to start spring training while he “deals with some things that flared up in the offseason.” Nardi finished the 2024 season on the injured list due to a left elbow muscle injury. McCullough said the team is still awaiting clarity on the severity of his injury.
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