Alex Vesia, one of the pitchers of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has shared his first statement following his abrupt withdrawal from the World Series. On Friday, Vesia and his wife Kayla revealed that their infant daughter had died.
Vesia and Kayla shared a statement on Instagram. The pair shared a black and white photo of the parents' holding on to their infant's hand. “Sterling Sol Vesia," they wrote, revealing her name.
"Our little angel we love you forever & you’re with us always. 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," continued the post.
The pair went on to thank the Dodgers team and to Dodgers fans, who've shared positive messages for the couple. They also thanked the hospital workers and medical staff who were with them throughout their stay at the hospital.
"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. With Love, The Vesias."
The couple shared news of the pregnancy in April of this year, revealing that they were expecting their first child together. The couple made the announcement on Instagram with a maternity photoshoot.
How the Dodgers supported Vesia
The Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games, marking their second World Series championship. Throughout the week of games, the team honored Vesia in different ways, including on game three, where some of his teammates wore his number, 51, on their caps as a tribute.
“I’m new to the bullpen. But Ves, he means a lot to all of us,” said pitcher Clayton Kershaw in a press conference. “He’s a huge part of the team, a huge part of the bullpen, so we wanted to do something to honor him.”