Kevin Alcantara, key to Cubs’ OF depth, returns to action

GLENDALE, Ariz. — For Kevin Alcantara, the most important result this weekend was getting back on the field. After hernia surgery in October to address an issue that Alcantara said had been affecting him since last February, he was most eager to prove that he is fully healthy again.

Though Alcantara went 0-for-4 against the Dodgers on Saturday, he was pleased with being healthy and with the quality of his at-bats.

“I came back to the field and feel so amazing, feel so happy because my spring is starting today,” Alcantara said. “I’m going to keep going, keep working hard.”

Alcantara said he has been working on changes to his stance and approach to help with his timing and to help him in some of the tougher pitching matchups. He feels more comfortable against lefties, Alcantara said, and against southpaw Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski, Alcantara saw nine pitches and fouled off five of them before he flew out to center field.

Though the end result may not be something Cubs fans are going to get fired up about, it was a positive indicator that some of what Alcantara has been changing in his plate approach will yield more positive outcomes in the box score in the future.

Alcantara’s second at-bat, against new Dodgers reliever Edwin Diaz, is an example of a matchup where simplifying his approach will help with his timing. Guys like Diaz, Alcantara said, can sometimes get him to jump to the pitch too quickly. This was his first in-game at-bat since implementing changes to his stance that were recommended to him by the Cubs.

“Not too many moves, more wide, no leg kick,” Alcantara said of how he’s honed his plate approach.

This simplifying is meant to keep Alcantara’s head angle consistent and to help with his timing. There’s potential for a lot of extra-base hits in Alcantara’s profile, and when the Cubs’ staff recommended these changes, he was more than willing.

“I’m working a lot,” Alcantara said. “I’m coming early, working a lot on my timing. I’m feeling so well. I think [as] I see more pitchers, I’ll see more better results coming.

“The team tells me whatever thing [to work on], and I’ll go ahead because I want to make the big leagues.”

At the major league level, the Cubs’ outfield does not have a lot of room in the depth chart, especially with Matt Shaw now getting looks in right field. Alcantara knows this, and he said he plans to continue to work on what the team asks of him while remaining confident that his opportunity is coming.

There are still several weeks of spring training left, and for now, the most important thing was getting Alcantara back on the field. Manager Craig Counsell said experiences with Dansby Swanson and Owen Caissie, and even his son having the same surgery as Alcantara have helped inform his understanding of the recovery process. Specifically, moving forward correctly now that Alcantara is back in the lineup is crucial.

“It’s an important time of the injury,” Counsell said. “We’ve got to get this part right. We’ve gone purposely slow to this point because of that. We’re trying to be cautious here about how we go.”

Alcantara has had brief looks at the major league level in both 2024 and 2025 that have given him just 21 big league at-bats, but he is the fourth-ranked prospect in the Cubs’ system, the highest ranked outfielder, and the only outfield prospect with major league experience. Though he seems most likely not to break camp on the Cubs’ 26-man roster a month from now, Alcantara will almost certainly be a factor in the Cubs outfield at some point in the 2026 season.

“Regardless of how the roster shakes out, [Alcantara] is an important player, and we’ve got to set him up to be ready to go this year,” Counsell said. “Because with how fortunate we were last year [health-wise], you know, you just plan on things happening. And [Alcantara] could be somebody that all of a sudden we are counting on for a lot of plate appearances.”

Counsell used Alcantara as his designated hitter on Saturday, but he said the plan going forward will be to use him regularly while trying to remain somewhat cautious. Alcantara said after he left Saturday’s game that he expects to be in the outfield by Monday, when the Cubs face the Reds in Goodyear.

The Cubs have put an emphasis on positional depth this winter, a response to feeling short on the bench in 2025 and know that an offense staying healthy all season is atypical. As a part of that investment in bench depth, the Cubs have stocked up on potential backup outfield options, a group that includes several veterans like Chas McCormick, Michael Conforto, and Justin Dean. It’s true every year, but Counsell said that some of the final roster decisions will come down to who has options, and that could mean Alcantara starts the year in Triple-A no matter how well he performs the rest of this spring.

Whenever his name is called to come back to Chicago, however, Alcantara is ready to bring his improved plate approach.

“The opportunity is coming,” Alcantara said. “They have the last decision. I’m working hard every single day, and no matter what happens, they sign other guys, I’m working every single day. I’m waiting for my process and [ready to] go ahead. They sign other guys, I don’t care, I’m okay. I care [about] helping the team to win.”