Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia and his spouse, Kayla, introduced on Instagram on Friday that their child daughter, Sterling, died on Oct. 26 — a tragic loss that prompted Vesia to overlook the Dodgers’ look within the World Collection final week.
“Our little angel, we love you forever & you’re with us always,” the Vesias wrote. “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.”
The Vesias had been anticipating the beginning of Sterling, their first baby, in the course of the Dodgers’ postseason run. Her dying got here in the course of the World Collection, forcing Vesia to step away from the membership.
The day earlier than Sport 1 of the World Collection, the Dodgers publicly introduced Vesia was not with the staff due to a “deeply personal family matter.” The Dodgers left him off their World Collection roster, in addition to the household medical emergency listing, in order to not strain him into feeling he wanted to return.
“This is so much bigger than baseball,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated on the time. “And for us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just 100% be supportive.”
The Dodgers’ bullpen honored Vesia in Sport 3 of the World Collection, with every reliever writing his No. 51 on the edges of their caps for the remainder of the sequence. The Toronto Blue Jays’ relievers did the identical in Video games 6 and seven, a gesture a number of Dodgers publicly acknowledged and deeply appreciated.
“I think it really speaks to the brotherhood of athletes, major league baseball players,” stated Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts forward of Sport 7. “Baseball is what we do, but it’s not who we are. And for these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have gone through — ‘heartbreaking’ is not even a good enough descriptor.”
“For those guys to do that, it’s incredible,” outfielder Kiké Hernández added. “They’re trying to win a World Series, but they understand that this is — life is bigger than baseball, and baseball’s just a game. For them to do that with the stakes where we’re at, hats off to them, and I want them to know that we appreciate ‘em.”
The Vesias additionally thanked the Dodgers, Blue Jays and baseball followers for his or her assist.
“Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” they wrote. “We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort.”
Vesia was a key a part of the Dodgers’ bullpen in each the common season (when he had a 3.02 ERA in a career-high 68 appearances) and the primary three rounds of the playoffs (when he allowed simply two runs in seven outings).
On Thursday, the Dodgers picked up Vesia’s $3.65-million possibility for subsequent season, avoiding arbitration earlier than what will probably be his ultimate 12 months earlier than reaching free company.
