LA Dodgers’ Alex Vesia shares death of baby daughter after sitting out World Series
IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters ConnectLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia, who did not appear in the team’s World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, reported that his infant daughter had died.
Vesia and his wife announced on Instagram Friday that their newborn daughter died on Oct. 26, midway through the team’s winning streak.
“There are no words to describe the pain we are going through but we carry it in our hearts and cherish every second we spent with her,” the couple wrote in a joint message.
The day before the start of the World Series – which ran from October 24 to November 1 – the Dodgers announced that Vesia would be absent while he dealt with a “deeply personal family matter.”
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The Vesias were expecting the birth of their first child during the team’s postseason run, Major League Baseball shared in an article on its website.
The team did not share any further updates with the public on Vesia’s absence, saying they wanted to give him the space he needed.
“We just didn’t want to have any pressure potential of any kind. It’s way bigger than baseball,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said before the series. “For us it was about doing everything we could to be 100% supportive.”
By the third game of the series, the pitchers replacing Vesia honored him by writing his jersey number, 51, on their caps. In a show of solidarity, Blue Jays pitchers began doing the same in Game 6.
Getty Images for Netflix“For these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kay went through, it’s heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, referring to Vesia and his wife Kayla. “But the fact that they acknowledge this shows how much they respect and love each other.”
In their Instagram post, the Vesias thanked the Dodgers for understanding and supporting them during their time of grieving. They also expressed their gratitude to the Blue Jays and all baseball fans, as well as the medical staff at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
The couple did not share information about their daughter’s cause of death.
“Our little angel, we love you forever and you are always with us,” the Vesias wrote.
