As the Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed over the Toronto Blue Jays during Game 3 of the World Series, they honored teammate Alex Vesia, who remains absent for a personal matter.
During the game at Dodger Stadium on Monday, October 27, several Dodgers players, including pitcher Justin Wrobleski, wore Vesia’s number, 51, on their caps as a tribute to him.
“I’m new to the bullpen. But Ves, he means a lot to all of us,” pitcher Clayton Kershaw said in a press conference after the game. “He’s a huge part of the team, a huge part of the bullpen, so we wanted to do something to honor him.”
The Dodgers further honored Vesia by beating the Blue Jays 6-5 in an instantly classic game that lasted for 18 innings and ended with a walk-off home run by Freddie Freeman.
Freddie Freeman’s Wife Chelsea Celebrates Dodgers’ World Series Game 2 Win
“That could go down as one of the greatest games of all time,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
One day before the World Series kicked off on Friday, October 24, the Dodgers announced that Vesia, 29, would be taking a break from baseball.
“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,” read a post shared on Thursday, October 23. “The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family and we will provide an update at a later date.”
Vesia and his wife, Kayla, announced earlier this year that they are expecting their first child.
“Baby Vesia coming soon, we are beyond excited for this next chapter! 🐣🍼🤍” the couple wrote via Instagram in April.
Chelsea Freeman Reacts to Dodgers Pitcher Alex Vesia’s Family Matter
The duo started dating in 2019 and got engaged in November 2022. In January 2024, they tied the knot in Ethereal Gardens in Escondido, California.
“•01-05-24• THE BEST DAY OF OUR LIVES! We couldn’t have planned for a better day it was everything we dreamed of and more,” the pair captioned a joint Instagram post celebrating their nuptials. “Very thankful for everyone who traveled and made time to celebrate us! LOVE YA’LL -The Vesias ❤️🔥.”
While the Dodgers have not given further updates on Vesia’s absence, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman previously explained the team’s decision to leave him off the roster, meaning he likely won’t be able to join the team later in the series. (If he’d been placed on the Family Medical Emergency List instead, he could have rejoined the team after a minimum of three days.)
Who Is Dodgers Pitcher Alex Vesia’s Pregnant Wife? Meet Kayla Vesia
“We just didn’t want to have any potential for any kind of pressure,” Friedman told reporters on Friday. “This is so much bigger than baseball. For us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just 100 percent be supportive.”
Roberts, meanwhile, said the team is keeping Vesia in their thoughts while they pursue their second consecutive championship.
“It’s certainly on our hearts, and we miss him,” the Dodgers manager told reporters during a press conference on Friday. “We’ll be thinking about him, and certainly he’s a part of this.”
