{"id":43936,"date":"2025-11-08T08:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T08:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/43936\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T08:32:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T08:32:15","slug":"dodgers-alex-vesia-and-his-wife-mourn-death-of-baby-daughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/43936\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers’ Alex Vesia and his wife mourn death of baby daughter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia<\/a> and his wife, Kayla, announced on Instagram<\/a> on Friday that their baby daughter, Sterling, died on Oct. 26 \u2014 a tragic loss that caused Vesia to miss the Dodgers<\/a>\u2019 appearance in the World Series<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur little angel, we love you forever & you\u2019re with us always,\u201d the Vesias wrote. \u201cThere are no words to describe the pain we\u2019re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Vesias had been expecting the birth of Sterling, their first child, during the Dodgers\u2019 postseason run. Her death came during the World Series, forcing Vesia to step away from the club.<\/p>\n

The day before Game 1 of the World Series, the Dodgers publicly announced Vesia was not with the team<\/a> because of a \u201cdeeply personal family matter.\u201d The Dodgers left him off their World Series roster, as well as the family medical emergency list, so as not to pressure him into feeling he needed to return.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is so much bigger than baseball,\u201d Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman<\/a> said at the time. \u201cAnd for us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just 100% be supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dodgers\u2019 bullpen honored Vesia in Game 3 of the World Series<\/a>, with each reliever writing his No. 51 on the sides of their caps for the rest of the series. The Toronto Blue Jays\u2019 relievers did the same in Games 6 and 7, a gesture several Dodgers publicly recognized and deeply appreciated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it really speaks to the brotherhood of athletes, major league baseball players,\u201d said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts<\/a> ahead of Game 7. \u201cBaseball is what we do, but it\u2019s not who we are. And for these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have gone through \u2014 \u2018heartbreaking\u2019 is not even a good enough descriptor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor those guys to do that, it\u2019s incredible,\u201d outfielder Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a> added. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to win a World Series, but they understand that this is \u2014 life is bigger than baseball, and baseball\u2019s just a game. For them to do that with the stakes where we\u2019re at, hats off to them, and I want them to know that we appreciate \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Vesias also thanked the Dodgers, Blue Jays and baseball fans for their support.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn\u2019t be able to do this without them,\u201d they wrote. \u201cWe have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It\u2019s brought us so much comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vesia was a key part of the Dodgers\u2019 bullpen in both the regular season (when he had a 3.02 ERA in a career-high 68 appearances) and the first three rounds of the playoffs (when he allowed just two runs in seven outings).<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Dodgers picked up Vesia\u2019s $3.65-million option<\/a> for next season, avoiding arbitration before what will be his final year before reaching free agency.<\/p>\n