Sandy Alcantara (Image Credits: Imagn)

Sandy Alcantara Expresses Disappointment After Being Pulled Out

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Paranjoy Goswami | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 11:17 AM ET

Sandy Alcantara was a major trade candidate for a move away from the Miami Marlins during the offseason. However, no such deal eventually materialized. The Marlins ace endured a bad start to the 2025 campaign upon returning from a lengthy injury layoff. Nevertheless, Alcantara ended the year on a strong note.

It is a different story this year, as Sanday Alcantara is off to a red-hot start to the 2026 season. But the 2022 National League Cy Young winner was not happy to come out of the game earlier than he wanted. The Miami Marlins were within grasp of the victory when Alcantara made his way off the mound against the Cincinnati Reds at LoanDepot Park on Tuesday night.

“So I think I deserve to be asked how I feel before taking me out of the game (at) 95 pitches and (with a) righty on deck,” Alcantara said after the game, as per MLB.com. “But it is what it is. Just got to get ready for my next outing. Get back tomorrow and fight the same way that we did today.”

Sandy Alcantara: “I feel like I deserve to be asked how I feel before getting taken out of the game, at 95 pitches and a righty on deck, but I respect the decision.”
— Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) April 8, 2026

Sandy Alcantara came close to posting back-to-back complete-game shutouts after his stellar display last week. He carried a 2-0 lead through 8.1 innings on Tuesday before leaving with runners on first and second base for closer Anthony Bender. Unfortunately for the Marlins, he could not get the save, and the Reds tied the contest to send it to extra innings.

Marlins Skipper Discusses Decision To Remove Sandy Alcantara From the Mound

The Miami Marlins eventually went on to lose 6-3 to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday at the end of the 10th inning. Manager Clayton McCullough discussed his decision to take Alcantara out of the game in the ninth after the Marlins’ bullpen imploded. He did not fancy the odds of Sandy Alcantara going up against the Reds’ lineup for the fourth time in the game.

Clayton McCullough (Image Credits: Imagn)

“I also know to come here and [to] answer. That is certainly part of it, and I don’t feel great about how it finished for us. I think there’s a lot of decisions throughout the course of the year that do weigh on you. Us losing the game is, for me, what stings the most,” McCullough told reporters after the game.

The Marlins have now lost consecutive games at home after a good start to the season. They will face the Reds again on Wednesday in the third encounter of their four-game series.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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