Raul

Alcantara

Alcantara has spent the last three seasons overseas. He pitched for the Doosan Bears in Korea during the 2020 season before spending the last two seasons with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2017 campaign.

Alcantara played in Korea last season with the KT Wiz and will remain overseas with a different club. The 27-year-old appeared briefly in the majors with the A’s in 2017 and 2018.

Alcantara, a 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic, posted a 2.20 ERA and 50/12 K/BB ratio in 65 1/3 innings this past season between rookie ball and Single-A. The right-hander has some promise, but he’s still developing and probably won’t be on the radar for a major league job until the 2014 season.

Alcantara, who turns 21 next month, had a promising 3.11 ERA and 124/24 K/BB ratio over 156 1/3 innings this past season between Class A Beloit and High-A Stockton. He was acquired from the Red Sox in Andrew Bailey deal two offseasons ago.

Picked up from the Red Sox along with Josh Reddick back in 2012 in the deal that sent Andrew Bailey to Boston, Alcantara has put up a 3.58 ERA and 105/30 K/BB ratio over 135 2/3 frames between Double- and Triple-A in 2016. The 23-year-old was particularly effective in eight outings for Nashville with a 1.18 ERA and 32/3 K/BB ratio over 45 2/3 innings.

He yielded five hits -- including a home run -- walked one and hit three (yes, three) batters, needing 61 pitches to cover three frames. Alcantara could have a future as a solid back-end starter, but he was really shaky in this one and clearly can’t be trusted in fantasy leagues at this point. Assuming he gets another start, it could come this weekend versus the Mariners.

Alcantara is making his major league debut in a start Monday afternoon against the Angels. He had a decent 3.58 ERA and 105/30 K/BB ratio in 135 2/3 innings this season between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

At least in a starting role, Alcantara’s stuff isn’t good enough to retire major league hitters consistently. Maybe if his fastball picks up in relief, he’ll prove moderately useful. He finished his September rotation audition 1-3 with a 7.24 ERA and nine homers allowed in 22 1/3 innings.

Alcantara served up a two-run homer to Carlos Gomez but was otherwise stingy, allowing just four other hits without issuing a walk. In three starts this year, the 23-year-old has a 5.65 ERA -- due in large part to allowing five runs over three innings in his MLB debut -- and is now 1-1 overall. Alcantara will get another crack at this Rangers lineup when the two meet for a rematch on Friday.

Alcantara walked one and struck out four on the afternoon. All of the damage against him came on one mighty swing of the bat by Mike Zunino in the second inning. The Athletics have dealt with a massive amount of injuries in their starting rotation this year, which has provided the young right-hander with an opportunity over the final few weeks of the season. He’ll take on the Rangers his next time out at home on Saturday.