Alex Vesia of the LA Dodgers shares the death of his infant daughter after missing the World Series

IMAGN IMAGES/ Reuters Connect Vesia, wearing No. 51 jersey, stands on the pitchers' mound, holding his glove, looking sad — Dodgers pitcher Alex Vescia in a game on October 9, 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Vescia, who pitched in the team’s World Series win against the Toronto Blue Jays, reported that his infant daughter had died.

Vesia and his wife shared the news on Instagram on Friday that their newborn daughter died on Oct. 26 — in the middle of the team’s championship winning streak.

“There are no words to describe the pain we are going through, but we carry her in our hearts and cherish every second we spent with her,” the couple wrote in a joint post.

The day before the start of the World Series — which ran from October 24 to November 1 — the Dodgers announced that Vescia would be away while he dealt with a “very personal family matter.”

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The Vesias were expecting their first child during the team’s postseason, Major League Baseball shared in a post on its website.

The team did not share any further updates with the public regarding Vesia’s absence, saying they want to give him the space he needs.

“We didn’t want to have any potential for any kind of pressure. This is much bigger than baseball,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said before the Series. “For us, it was about doing everything we could to just be 100 percent supportive.”

By the third game of the series, the pitchers who replaced Vesia honored him by writing his jersey number, 51, on their caps. In a show of solidarity, Blue Jays pitchers began doing the same in Game 6.

Kayla and Alex Vecchia attend a Netflix event in May

Getty Images for Netflix Kayla Vescia, wearing a black blazer and jeans, stands smiling next to her husband Alex Vescia, wearing a button-down and jeans, in front of Netflix Step and Repeat — Kayla and Alex Vecchia attend a Netflix event in May

“For these guys to know Alex and what he and Kai went through, heartbreaking isn’t even a good enough description,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, referring to Vescia and his wife, Kayla. “But for them to admit it, it just shows how much respect and love they have for each other.”

In their Instagram post, the Vesias family thanked the Dodgers for their understanding and support in their time of grief. They also expressed their gratitude to the Blue Jays and all baseball fans, as well as the medical staff at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

The couple did not share information about the cause of their daughter’s death.

“Our little angel, we love you forever and you are always with us,” the Visayas wrote.