PHOENIX (KABC) — Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia took to the mound for the first time since last fall, months after stepping away from the team following the death of his daughter.
Vesia, a critical piece to the back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen, was taken off the roster ahead of the World Series in late October, with his wife, Kayla, due to give birth.
Their daughter, Sterling Sol, died two days later.
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Alex Vesia spoke publicly for the first time since his daughter’s passing, thanking the Dodgers and the baseball community for their support.
In Game 6 of the World Series, all the Blue Jays’ relievers wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps. Vesia’s bullpen teammates had the number inscribed throughout the series, which saw the Dodgers prevail in seven hotly contested games.
During the Dodgers’ third spring training game on Monday – their first at home at the Glendale stadium – Vesia took the mound, drawing an emotional response from fans as he threw a perfect inning.
Fans even gave him a standing ovation.
“It’s been hard, actually … I guess it’s hard in a good way because I want to interact with all the fans and stuff like that, but I know I have a job to do,” Vesia said. “Even on the backfields’ first day, we walk out the doors and you know, cheers and lots of love.”
The Dodgers continue their spring schedule as Vesia works his way back onto the roster.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has spent time with Vesia and believes returning to baseball will be “therapeutic.”
Vesia has been one of the team’s most trusted relievers over the past five years, putting up a 2.67 ERA in 295 regular-season appearances since his first full season in 2021 — not to mention a 1.86 ERA in 19 playoff innings.
ESPN contributed to this report.
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