Alex Vesia has spoken out about a heart-wrenching moment in his life. After the Los Angeles Dodgers announced on October 23 that their relief pitcher would be taking a leave of absence during the 2025 World Series, he and his wife Kayla Vesia shared the devastating news of their baby girl Sterling Sol Vesia's passing. "Our beautiful daughter went to heaven on Sunday, October 26th," they wrote in a joint Instagram post on November 7, accompanied by a black-and-white picture of them holding their baby's hand. "There are no words to describe the pain we're going through, but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her."
Amid their grief, Alex and Kayla—who had announced in April that they were expecting a baby—expressed their gratitude to the MLB team. "Thank you to the Dodgers for your understanding and support during this time," the couple continued. "Our baseball family showed up for us, and we wouldn't be able to do this without them." In addition to thanking the hospital staff they encountered, Alex and Kayla addressed the baseball community, adding, "Thank you Dodger Nation, Blue Jays organization, and all baseball fans for your love and support. We have seen all your messages, comments, and posts. It's brought us so much comfort."
The Dodgers, who ultimately won the World Series on November 1, expressed their support for Alex as he left the team to be with his wife and child. "It's 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 Dodgers wrote in a statement shared on Instagram on October 23. "The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date."
During Alex's absence, his teammates paid tribute to him on the field as they faced off against the Toronto Blue Jays. During game three of the World Series on October 27, the players wore Alex's number 51 on the side of their blue hats. "It's just something we talked about," pitcher Clayton Kershaw told reporters in a post-game interview. "I'm new to the bullpen, but Vesia means a lot to all of us. And he was a huge part of this team, a huge part of that bullpen. So, we just wanted to do something to honor him." And part of honoring Alex and Kayla has been giving them the time they need, which is why he was left off the World Series roster. "We just didn't want to have any potential for any kind of pressure," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters on October 24. "This is so much bigger than baseball. For us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just be 100% supportive."
