Marlins Alcantara Takes The Mound In Series Finale With Phillies

Miami Marlins rookie Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Wednesday in the series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies.

He’s Baaaack! The Miami Marlins will send rookie pitcher Sandy Alcantara to the mound in the rubber match of the series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. This is the second start for the 22-year-old, who won his only game in the Majors prior to the All-Star Break.

Alcantara was brought up to the Marlins roster with the Sept. 1 call-ups. He had been in Triple-A New Orleans after being reassigned following a stint on the disabled list that forced him to miss time. Now, the Marlins have a chance to see if the youngster can find more consistency on the mound and potentially lock down the organization’s top spot in the rotation for 2019.

In his debut outing for the Marlins, Alcantara pitched five innings and gave up just one run on three hits. He did walk five batters and struck out one against the New York Mets. The inconsistency in his pitching is something manager Don Mattingly talked about in Spring Training when it was decided the No. 2 prospect in the organization would begin the 2018 season at Triple-A New Orleans.

The Marlins took their time in bringing up Alcantara, making sure he worked on his mechanics in the minors.

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Now, after working on his control and coming back from a right axillary infection. For those of us reading this, that’s an infection in the armpit.

The Miami Marlins shipped outfielder Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals prior to Spring Training that brought the Dominican pitcher to south Florida.

Alcantara has a chance to make a lasting impression on the Marlins coaching staff this final month of the season. According to MLB.com’s scouting report, he has increased his velocity the past two seasons, which bodes well for the youngster. If he continues to improve his consistency, then he may become the hard-throwing starter who can lead a rotation for several years.

"“Alcantara’s control and command both leave much to be desired, but as he keeps adding velocity, he’s still learning to harness his stuff,” the scouting report states. “While pinpoint command won’t ever be necessary given his dynamic repertoire, he’ll need to pitch down in the zone consistently to be effective as a starter. At the least, Alcantara has the weapons to become a dominant closer at the highest level.”"

The Marlins envision him in a rotation that could also include Pablo Lopez and Trevor Richards. Caleb Smith and Zac Gallen could also be in line to earn a spot in the rotation next season.

Alcantara will go up against the Phillies right-hander, Nick Pivetta (7-10, 4.66 ERA), a 25-year-old native of Canada.