Sandy Alcantara named Marlins’ Opening Day starter vs. Pirates

Sandy Alcantara will take the mound for the Miami Marlins on Opening Day, marking his return from Tommy John surgery.

New Marlins manager Clayton McCullough confirmed Thursday that Alcantara will start March 27 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“We informed Sandy that he’s going to be our Opening Day starter,” McCullough told reporters. “No secret there, but it was a long journey coming back from last year. Organizationally, we’re very excited, and the fanbase will be excited to see Sandy take the hill on Opening Day.”

Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, missed the entire 2024 season following Tommy John Surgery.

While the Marlins are expected to manage his workload carefully, he is more than 16 months removed from the operation.

Pittsburgh has not officially named its Opening Day starter, though National League All-Star Paul Skenes will likely take the mound.

Alcantara expressed his excitement about returning, acknowledging the challenges of his recovery when speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

“I learned a lot, you know, but to me, it was difficult because I wasn’t able to compete,” Alcantara said. “But at the same time, I was enjoying the game, supporting my teammates, and having fun together. The most important thing was being healthy.”

In addition to Alcantara’s return, the Marlins also welcome pitcher Eury Pérez from injury and signed veteran Cal Quantrill to bolster their pitching rotation.