Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara undergoes Tommy John surgery, will miss all of 2024 season

The Miami Marlins surprised many by making the playoffs this season. A repeat trip next year just became a lot harder.

Former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara announced Friday that he underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2024 season.

Alcantara had not pitched since Sept. 3, an eight-inning outing that lowered his ERA to 4.14. He didn't repeat the numbers that earned him Cy Young honors and a second career All-Star nod in 2022, but he still led a strong Marlins rotation with 184 2/3 innings pitched in 28 starts.

The Marlins placed Alcantara on the 15-day injured list three days after his final start with what was described as a right forearm flexor strain. He made a rehab start later that month, throwing four innings for Triple-A Jacksonville, but was later diagnosed with a UCL sprain and shut down for the season.

Friday's announcement means that his sprained UCL was in need of a full repair.

Covering the loss of Alcantara next season will be a massive challenge for the Marlins, who went 84-78 this year and had their season ended Wednesday with a two-game sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card round. Alcantara has thrown 619 innings the past three seasons, the most by any pitcher in MLB, with a 3.14 ERA and 3.44 FIP.

The Marlins still figure to have a decent rotation led by Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Eury Pérez, but there's no replacing an innings-eater such as Alcantara.