Vesia left the Dodgers during the NLCS and joined his wife as they mourned the loss of their daughter, Sterling Sol.
The reason for his departure was not immediately clear, but the Dodgers spoke about the matter in somber tones, calling it a tragic event.
During the offseason, Vesia and his wife Kayla revealed in an Instagram post that their newborn daughter had died.
During the World Series, the Dodgers’ bullpen wrote Vesia’s number, 51, on the sides of their hats, a gesture the Toronto Blue Jays reciprocated as the series progressed, standing in solidarity with the missing pitcher when they learned what he was going through.
After Vesia sought help for him and his wife in the form of therapy, he reported to Dodgers’ Spring Training, ready to get back on the field and use baseball as a means of coping with his loss.
On Monday, Vesia made his first appearance since the NLCS against the Seattle Mariners in a Cactus League game and threw a 1,2,3 inning with a total of 17 pitches and a strikeout.
Statement from Alex Vesia during Spring Training
During Spring Training, in his first speech to the crowd, Vesia cleared the air with a prepared statement, becoming emotional during the delivery.
“When Kay and I were watching the World Series, we noticed there was 51 in (Blue Jays reliever) Louie Varland’s hat,” Vesia said.
“I immediately texted Gus Varland, his brother (and a former teammate), and I asked him if I saw that right. He texted me right back and he said, ‘The Varlands love you, dude. The whole Toronto bullpen does too. It’s bigger than baseball. We love you all.’
“We were super overwhelmed with emotion and the baseball community, the relationships you build along the way showed that it’s much bigger than baseball. The outpouring of love and support that Kay and I have had over the past few months has been unparalleled.
“We’re both thankful for not only Dodger nation, but the fans all over the world. My DMs, messages, basically broke on Instagram because of all the love and support we’ve had. I’ve been trying to read all the comments and everything, just because it meant the world, it really did.”
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