Nine days later, his newborn daughter died.<\/p>\n
Four months later, in a halting six-minute address punctuated by deep breaths and stifled sobs, Alex Vesia<\/a> publicly bared his battered soul.<\/p>\n \u201c I was not prepared to not bring my baby girl home, but we\u2019re carrying her with us every day\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Meeting with the media at Camelback Ranch on the first day of spring training Friday, Vesia took no questions, instead reading from a statement off his phone while battling the effects of the tragedy that was his daughter Sterling\u2019s death two days after the start of the World Series.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lessons we\u2019ve learned from this is that life can change in an instant. Ten minutes is all it took\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Vesia had given up two runs in seven postseason appearances, including five scoreless appearances in the heart of the playoffs. He was going to be a big factor against the Toronto Blue Jays, until the unthinkable happened, and he immediately disappeared into his nightmare.<\/p>\n Share via Close extra sharing options <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t think of anything worse,\u201d said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts<\/a>.<\/p>\n While the Dodgers<\/a> were competing for an unthinkable second consecutive championship, Vesia was mourning an unimaginable loss. While the Dodgers were ultimately bathed in cheers, he and wife Kayla were awash in agony.<\/p>\n \u201cSterling Sol was the most beautiful girl in the world\u2026we got to hold her, change her diaper, read to her, and love her\u2026 Our time together was far too short.\u201d<\/p>\n For all the emotion that enveloped the Dodgers\u2019 postseason, it turns out none of it could compare to the private hell endured by one of their own. As he spoke Friday, it became clear why Vesia is such a valued member of this group. He could barely get through his statement, yet he took deep breaths and didn\u2019t stop talking. He couldn\u2019t pitch in the most important games of the year, yet he put his pain aside and wouldn\u2019t stop cheering.<\/p>\n \u201cStepping away from the team, and the brothers I go to war with every day, was difficult. But it was also an easy decision, because my family needed me. We still watched every pitch of the World Series, and for us, in so many ways, that was a light in our darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n While the public was unaware of the scope of his pain \u2014 one day before the World Series began, the Dodgers announced that he had left the team for a \u201cdeeply personal family matter\u201d<\/a> \u2014 every player knew the details, and reacted with a giant embrace.<\/p>\n The Dodgers wore Vesia\u2019s number 51 on their caps. Soon, so did the Blue Jays relievers in an inspiring show of solidarity.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Kay and I were watching the World Series, we noticed that there was (No.) 51 on Louie Varland\u2019s hat. I immediately texted Gus Varland, his brother, and I asked him if I was seeing that correctly. He texted me back right away and he said, \u2018The Varlands love you dude. The whole Toronto bullpen has it too. It\u2019s bigger than baseball. We love you all.\u2019 Kay and I\u2026 we were very emotional. We were super overwhelmed with emotion.\u201d<\/p>\n That emotion was evident in a different way on Friday, with a newly muscle-bound Vesia throwing darts in a breathtaking bullpen session. His vacancy was nicely filled in the World Series by Will Klein<\/a> and Justin Wrobleski<\/a>, who combined to throw 10 scoreless innings. But this team will need Vesia this season as an important set-up man for Edwin D\u00edaz, and are counting on him to remain his strong self.<\/p>\n \u201cI do think getting back to what he loves to do and play baseball, that\u2019s something therapeutic for him,\u201d said Roberts.<\/p>\n Vesia agreed. The road back from grief is often a long and rocky one, but as he hugged teammates amid the relaxed spring moment Friday, he had hope.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving something to look forward to has helped me. The gym has been my mental clarity. Being around the guys again, preparing for spring training, it\u2019s been really nice. Gotten a lot of love so far in the clubhouse, and being able to laugh and joke around, that\u2019s been really nice for me.\u201d<\/p>\n While Vesia\u2019s statement was wracked with sorrow, it was also filled with gratitude. He found time to thank the Dodgers, the Blue Jays and most notably, the fans.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771062924_175_.jpeg\")
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