Dodgers Rally Around Alex Vesia Amid Family Crisis

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of a World Series run, but their focus extends beyond the diamond. Teammate Alex Vesia and his family are at the forefront of their thoughts as he takes a leave of absence.

On October 23, the team announced that Vesia, 29, would be stepping away to “navigate a deeply personal family matter” alongside his pregnant wife, Kayla.

“With him not being here, I think it was just a matter of showing that we’re united with him and Kayla at this time,” said pitcher Jack Dreyer in an interview published on October 28.

During Game 3 of the World Series on October 27, members of the Dodgers bullpen honored Vesia by wearing caps adorned with his No. 51.

“It’s just the little thing that we could do to show him that we care and we’re thinking about him,” Dreyer, 26, remarked. “We could really use him here, but at the end of the day, we’re a family. So, we’re going to help support him however we can.”

The bullpen’s resolve was tested during Game 3, which extended into 18 innings before a walk-off home run by Freddie Freeman clinched the victory for Los Angeles.

However, the Blue Jays responded strongly in Game 4, leveling the series with a decisive 6-2 win.

Emmet Sheehan contributed 2.5 innings in Game 3, striking out two batters from Toronto. “It’s been pretty emotional down there recently, with everything that’s going on with Ves,” Sheehan, 25, shared. “We were thinking of him all night.”

Justin Wrobleski, who pitched 1.5 innings in relief during the same game, emphasized Vesia’s importance: “He’s such a big part of our squad and everything that we do, everything we’ve done.”

“The Vesia situation is playing on our hearts recently,” added Evan Phillips. “We certainly miss him on the field, but we know that we have his back and the support’s there for them while they’re going through this hard time.”

Phillips, 31, has been alongside Vesia in the bullpen since 2021. Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw, who has transitioned to a bullpen role after a storied career as a starting pitcher, spoke about Vesia after Game 3. “I’m new to the bullpen. But Ves means a lot to all of us,” Kershaw stated.

On the tribute of stitching Vesia’s number into their hats, Kershaw remarked, “He’s a huge part of the team, a huge part of the bullpen, so we wanted to do something to honor him.”

No further updates on Vesia’s situation have been released by the Dodgers. It is anticipated that he will not return for the remainder of the World Series.

Game 5 is set for October 29 at Dodger Stadium, with the series returning to Toronto for Game 6 on October 31.