Milwaukee—Wednesday afternoon, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker informed the media at American Family Field that Sandy Alcantara has been diagnosed with a right UCL sprain. Alcantara felt pain in his throwing arm on September 3 and was subsequently placed on the 15-day IL with what was originally described as a forearm flexor strain. However, after meeting with a specialist in Los Angeles, he underwent an MRI which revealed the UCL sprain.

Alcantara was seen playing catch in the outfield prior to Wednesday’s game. He met with the media in the dugout prior to the game and said he’s currently pain-free: “Everything feels good today. Happy to be back.”

Alcantara was highly non-committal regarding the possibility of returning in 2023. “I can’t say yes, I can’t say no,” he said. Skip echoed Sandy’s sentiments that they will be taking this “day by day.”

When a pitcher suffers a tear to the UCL in their throwing arm, it often leads to surgery. For the time being, Alcantara seems to have avoided that scenario.

It is unclear what the next steps will be for Sandy. His IL stint is retroactive to September 4, so he’d be eligible for reinstatement beginning on September 19. Unfortunately for the Marlins, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be ready by then—he is still very early in his throwing progression.

The Marlins rotation temporarily consists of Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, Eury Pérez, Johnny Cueto, an Edward Cabrera-led bullpen day and an all-hands-on-deck bullpen day. It goes without saying, Alcantara is dearly missed.

Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins