MESA, Ariz. – There are things only those who have recovered from Tommy John surgery can truly appreciate.
In the case of Raul Alcantara, who was a hot prospect for Oakland before having ligament replacement surgery in 2013, it’s that there are multiple stages to the recovery process.
Alcantara was healthy and back pitching by the end of the 2014 season, but it wasn’t the real him.
“I couldn’t throw my cutter until 2016,” Alcantara said over the weekend in a break from his quest to muscle his way onto the A’s pitching staff. “It’s my out pitch, but it took a long time to be able to throw it after the surgery.