PHOENIX – If Sandy Alcantara stays the course, the rookie right-hander has a chance to flirt with a benchmark no Marlins starter has reached in seven seasons.

Alcantara is sitting at 178 2/3 innings over 29 starts, and there is a chance he could toy with reaching the elusive 200 innings mark.

The 24-year-old is scheduled to pitch the series finale against the D-backs on Wednesday at Chase Field. And barring the organization shutting him down at any point, Alcantara is lined up to make two additional starts -- Sept. 24 in New York (Mets) and Sept. 29 in Philadelphia (closing day).

If Alcantara averages six innings in those starts, he would finish at 196 2/3 innings.

The last Marlins starter to reach 200 innings was Mark Buehrle (202 1/3) in 2012. Nathan Eovaldi came agonizingly close at 199 2/3 innings in '14. And in '15, Tom Koehler reached 187 1/3 innings.

“He’s building,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s got a chance to be close to 200 innings. Last year’s innings were at a point where progression is not anything anybody is concerned about.”

This is Alcantara’s first full big league season, and he is classified as a rookie.

In 2018, his first season in the organization, he logged 34 innings in the big leagues, and 127 in the Minors. So, he finished with 161 combined innings, and an increase of 30-40 innings is not a reason for concern.

Also, Mattingly noted Alcantara ranks first among the Marlins’ starters in having the least amount of stressful innings, and exceptionally high-pitch innings.

“When you talk about Sandy, he’s probably been our guy who has taken the biggest steps forward,” Mattingly said. “He had a little stretch after the All-Star break, where he was kind of in and out. But since then, he’s probably [at] six, seven, eight starts that have been really good.”

Alcantara, acquired from the Cardinals in 2017 as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade, was the Marlins’ lone All-Star.

“He’s been probably the cleanest guy that we have, as far as his innings,” Mattingly said.

Smith joins Miami

The Marlins added some left-handed relief help on Monday, with Josh Smith officially joining the club. Miami claimed the 29-year-old left-hander off waivers on Saturday, after he was designated for assignment by the Indians.

Smith, who had a 5.40 ERA, appeared in eight games with the Indians this season, making his last appearance on Aug. 13 against the Red Sox.

Smith had a standout season at Triple-A, posting a 2.73 ERA in 41 games.

“It’s a good feeling to be here,” Smith said.

A lesson he learned from his first big league callup with the Indians?

“It’s the same game,” he said. “You’ve got to be yourself more than anything. I think I was trying a little bit too hard over there, trying to impress people. At the end of the day, it’s the same game.”

Injury updates

• First baseman/right fielder Garrett Cooper (left knee contusion) returned to South Florida on Sunday to be further examined by the Marlins’ medical staff.

• Right-hander Jordan Yamamoto (right forearm strain) threw a 66-pitch simulated game on Monday at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex in Jupiter. The club remains hopeful that Yamamoto will make at least one big league start before the end of the season.