As the Los Angeles Dodgers attempt to become the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back World Series titles, their teammate Alex Vesia and his family continue to be on their minds.
The Dodgers announced on Thursday, October 23, that Vesia, 29, would be stepping away from the team as he and his pregnant wife, Kayla, “navigate a deeply personal family matter.”
“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,” Dodgers pitcher Jack Dreyer told The Athletic in a story published Tuesday, October 28.
When members of the Dodgers bullpen took to the field for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday, October 27, they had Vesia’s No. 51 stitched onto their caps.
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“It’s just the little thing that we could do to show him that we care and we’re thinking about him,” Dreyer, 26, said. “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 Dodgers needed a heroic effort from their bullpen during Game 3, which went 18 innings before Los Angeles secured the win on a Freddie Freeman walk-off home run.
Toronto tied the best-of-seven series with a 6-2 win in Game 4 on Tuesday.
Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan pitched 2 and ⅔ innings in Game 3, striking out two Blue Jays along the way.
“It’s been pretty emotional down there recently, with everything that’s going on with Ves,” Sheehan, 25, told The Athletic. “We were thinking of him all night.”
Justin Wrobleski, who pitched 1 and ⅔ innings in relief during Game 3, called Vesia “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,” Dodgers pitcher Evan Phillips added. “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, and Vesia have shared a spot in the Dodgers bullpen since 2021.
Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw — who recently transitioned to a role in the bullpen after a legendary career as a starting pitcher — discussed Vesia after Game 3, in which he secured a crucial out with the bases loaded in the 12th inning.
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“I’m new to the bullpen. But Ves, he means a lot to all of us,” Kershaw, 37, told reporters.
On stitching Vesia’s number into their hats, Kershaw said, “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 have not announced a further update on the Vesia family. He is not expected to rejoin the team for the rest of the World Series.
Game 5 of the Dodgers and Blue Jays is Wednesday, October 29, at Dodger Stadium. The series shifts back to Toronto for Game 6 on Friday, October 31.
