The Los Angeles Dodgers announced last week that pitcher Alex Vesia would not be joining the team for the World Series.
“Itâs with a heavy heart that we share that Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife, Kayla, navigate a deeply personal family matter. The entire Dodger organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date,” the team’s statement shared via social media on Friday, October 24, read.
Dodgers Players Show Support for Alex Vesia
During game 3 of the World Series, the first played at Dodgers Stadium, several Dodgers players honored their teammate during his difficult time.
Fellow pitcher Justin Wrobleski wore Vesia’s number 51 on his hat during his outing. Meanwhile veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw spoke about Vesia’s absence during the post-game press conference.
“Iâm new to the bullpen. But Ves, he means a lot to all of us,” Kershaw said on Monday, October 27. “Heâs a huge part of the team, a huge part of the bullpen, so we wanted to do something to honor him.”
As the team moved through their entire bullpen during the 18-inning game Monday night, it became clear that the entire pitching team had a small “51” stitched into their caps, including Will Klein, Blake Treinen, Edgardo Henriquez, and Roki Sasaki.
The Dodgers pulled off a miracle win in the bottom of the 18th as Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run to give the team the 2-1 lead in the series.
What Happened to Alex Vesia?
The Dodgers reliever is expected to miss the entire series against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a “deeply personal matter.”
Vesia, 29, and his wife, Kayla, announced they were expecting their first child together earlier this year.
“Baby Vesia coming soon, we are beyond excited for this next chapter!” the couple wrote via Instagram in April.
Kayla had been sharing updates throughout her pregnancy, including photos from her “Berry Sweet Baby Girl” themed baby shower in June.
While little is known about the couple’s personal situation, the team’s decision to leave him off the World Series roster means he won’t be able to rejoin the team later in the series.
“We just didnât want to have any potential for any kind of pressure,” Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations, told reporters on Friday following Game 1. “This is so much bigger than baseball. For us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just 100 percent be supportive.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts added, “Itâs certainly on our hearts, and we miss him. Weâll be thinking about him, and certainly heâs a part of this.”
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