Alex Vesia bounced off the mound and delivered an emphatic fist pump after striking out the side in the ninth inning in an emotional moment in front of the medical staff who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and his wife through a family tragedy.
Vesia pointed up into the stands at Dodger Stadium, which the left-hander brought to its feet with a dominant ninth inning capped by a strikeout. The standing ovation included a stadium suite of medical workers who supported Vesia and wife Kayla through a heartbreaking chapter of their lives — the death of their baby daughter.
The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center team members were invited to the game for Healthcare Appreciation Night by the Vesias.
“To see them, today was the first time I’ve seen pretty much all of them since everything,” Vesia said after the game. “So it was very special, very emotional. One of the main, main nurses, she was here tonight, too, (the one that) took care of us. That was awesome. I couldn’t have written it any better.”
Vesia needed just 10 pitches to strike out the side, protecting the Dodgers’ one-run lead.
In a joint Instagram post last year, the Vesias shared that their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, died Oct. 26. The relief pitcher was not on the Dodgers’ World Series roster last season for what the team described as a leave of absence for a personal matter.
“Our little angel we love you forever & you’re with us always,” the post caption read. “Our beautiful daughter went to heaven Sunday October 26th. 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.
“Thank you to the Dodgers for their understanding and support during this time. Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them. Thank you Dodger Nation, Blue Jays organization and all baseball fans for your love and support. We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort.
“Lastly, we’d like to thank Cedars Sinai and all the medical staff who helped Kayla and Sterling. Every person we came across was truly so incredible.”
The couple announced in April that they were expecting a baby.
In an Instagram post Oct. 23, the Dodgers said, “It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter. The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date.”
During Game 3 of the World Series, players from both the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays wore Vesia’s No. 51 on the sides of their caps.
“I think it really speaks tot he brotherhood of athletes, of MLB players,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about the Game 3 tribute. “For these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have gone through, heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor.”
Born in Alpine, California, Vesia was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2018 and made his big league debut in July 2020. He joined the Dodgers in 2021 and posted a 4-2 record this past season with a 3.02 ERA in 68 appearances.
The Dodgers recently exercised the 2026 contract option of Vesia, who will receive a $3.55 million salary rather than a $50,000 buyout. If the Dodgers had declined, he would have been eligible for arbitration.
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