There are times in sports that go beyond the game itself. On Friday, Alex Vesia, a left-handed reliever for the Los Angeles Dodgers, stood in front of reporters at spring training camp in Arizona and talked about a pain that no parent should have to go through. The 29-year-old pitcher hadn’t said anything in months after a horrible event that kept him from the 2025 World Series. His prepared statement was the first time he talked about losing his baby daughter, Sterling Sol, in public.

Vesia’s voice was heavy with sadness as he read his statement: “The lessons we’ve learned from this is, that life can change in an instant for us. 10 minutes is all it took. Sterling Sol was the most beautiful girl in the world. We got to hold her, change her diaper, read to her, and love her. Our time together was far too short. Kay and I will keep those precious moments and memories to ourselves. I hope that anyone listening can empathize and respect our wishes for privacy as we continue to heal and as we navigate the ups and downs of a baseball season.”

Series between Games 2 and 3. Vesia had been away from the team because his wife, Kayla, was about to have a baby. In November, the couple used Kayla’s Instagram account to tell the world about their loss. Vesia, on the other hand, had kept quiet about it until Friday. The Dodgers’ most reliable reliever during the regular season, with a 4-2 record and a 3.02 ERA in 68 games, missed the biggest game of the year for reasons that were much more important than any game.

While Vesia was gone, the baseball community came together to support him. “We noticed there was 51 on Louis Varland’s hat,” Vesia said from Spring Training. “I immediately texted Gus Varland, his brother, and I asked him if I was seeing that correctly. He texted me back right away, and he said, ‘The Varlands love you, dude. The whole Toronto bullpen has it, too. It’s bigger than baseball. We love y’all.’ And Kay and I, we were very emotional.”

Players from both the Blue Jays and the Dodgers wrote his number 51 on their hats, which kept him on the field symbolically during the World Series. During an emotional appearance on Friday, Vesia thanked his teammates, opponents, and the whole baseball community for their amazing support. The tribute showed how much Vesia is respected now that he moved to Los Angeles from Miami in a trade in 2021.

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Even though he didn’t make it to the World Series, Alex Vesia’s performance in 2025 showed how valuable he was to the team. Before the tragedy, he didn’t give up any runs in six of his seven postseason games. The Dodgers used their $3.55 million option for 2026, which means he will still be part of their championship defense while he and Kay continue to heal from their terrible loss.

Alex Vesia Finds Solace in Baseball’s Familiar Routines

Alex Vesia has gone back to the routine that has defined most of his adult life, even though grief is still taking its unpredictable course. The left-handed pitcher didn’t waste any time getting back to baseball after arriving in Arizona last November. He went straight to the gym, which he calls his “sanctuary for mental clarity.” There were throwing sessions soon after, and by Friday morning, before the Dodgers’ first official spring training workout, he was on the mound at Camelback Ranch finishing a bullpen session.

“Being around the guys again, preparing for spring training, it’s been really nice,” Vesia said. “Gotten a lot of love so far in the clubhouse, and being able to laugh and joke around, that’s been really nice for me.”

The numbers tell the story. Vesia has been a full-time member of the Dodgers’ bullpen since 2021. In 295 regular-season games, he has a great 2.67 ERA, and in 19 1/3 playoff innings, he has an even better 1.86 ERA. He is still a key player in the relief corps, even though the Los Angeles Dodgers added closer Edwin Diaz this offseason.

Dave Roberts, the manager, met with his reliever for about 30 minutes on Thursday. Roberts thinks that getting back on the field will help Vesia heal in its own way and that baseball can be good for him as he goes through this chapter.