Alcantara in 'Opening Day form' as he hits 99 mph in live BP session

MIAMI -- As the 2024 season winds down, the Marlins celebrated encouraging signs that point to better days ahead in ‘25.

Ace Sandy Alcantara threw 20 pitches of live batting practice and lit up the radar gun at 99 mph on Tuesday afternoon prior to the Marlins' 11-9 win over the Dodgers at loanDepot park, while facing hitters for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery on Oct. 6, 2023.

His mentee, right-hander Eury Pérez, lightly tossed on flat ground for the first time since having the same procedure on April 8.

“Well, first of all, it's just really cool to see him on the mound again, facing hitters,” manager Skip Schumaker said of Alcantara. “Looked like he was in Opening Day form, throwing 97-99 mph with a really good run. [The] changeup looked good. For his first time out, 20 pitches, in about a year, it was just really impressive.

“All the hard work that he's put into this thing, the training staff, the pitching coaches, it was just a really big day.”

Speaking of Opening Day, Alcantara has his eyes set on returning March 27, when the Marlins host the Pirates to begin the 2025 slate.

“That's the target for us,” Alcantara said. “I've just got to be working, get ready for spring and compete for a spot.”

Alcantara, who turned 29 on Sept. 7, has been ahead of the typical rehab timeline (12-14 months). He played catch for the first time on March 9 -- just five months removed from the procedure -- and has been throwing bullpen sessions this summer.

Though Alcantara didn’t know when and if he would pitch to batters again, he expects to have a normal offseason. He wasn’t able to experience that last winter after undergoing the procedure.

“I've been getting tired just throwing bullpens, so I think today was a bigger step for me [to] be out there,” said Alcantara, who was most pleased with his command.

David Hensley, José Devers and Javier Sanoja stood in the box against Alcantara, while their teammates and coaching staff observed from behind the dugout railing or the batting practice turtle.

Sanoja, who is ranked as Miami’s No. 14 prospect by MLB Pipeline, had never faced the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner. Sanoja worked a 3-2 count with several foul balls, getting to see Alcantara’s entire arsenal (two-seamer, slider, changeup and four-seamer).

Alcantara has ditched the curveball, which might have been a reason behind the injury.

“You can see that he was working a lot on his slider, just to have that feeling,” Sanoja said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I think he was looking for that. And again, it's just incredible to face a guy like this, you guys know he's a Cy Young.

“It didn't surprise me [how quickly he came back]. We know what type of player he is and how hard he works all the time to be who he is. It was very exciting. I think I was a bit nervous.”

A little over a year ago, Alcantara felt discomfort on his 94th and final pitch on Sept. 3 in Washington. An MRI exam later revealed a right UCL sprain, landing him on the 15-day injured list for the first time in his career with an arm issue.

Ten days after that diagnosis, Alcantara threw on flat ground in Milwaukee and then threw two pain-free bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Sept. 21. Despite tossing four scoreless innings and maxing out at 98.3 mph, he shut himself down after experiencing forearm tightness.

Even though Alcantara didn’t pitch in 2024, he traveled on the road with the ballclub to lend his support. He also kept up his intense workouts to recover quickly.

Left-hander Jesús Luzardo was among those cheering Alcantara on. Luzardo, who underwent Tommy John surgery as an 18-year-old, has been able to impart wisdom to Alcantara along the way. What is normal soreness? How much should one lift? What does the throwing progression look like?

“It was awesome to watch,” Luzardo said. “He's been putting in a lot of work. We've all seen it. He's been around all year, and we've seen everything that goes into that with him. So we're happy for him. It went well. He looks really good, and like I just said, it's a testament to all the work that he's put in. So we're happy for him and happy to have him back.

“... Sandy always looks ready to go. Even [with] his bullpens, he looked ready to go. It's smart for them to ease him into it, obviously, the rest of the year, and then be ready for next year. But yeah, if you asked me, he's ready to go now.”