Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia and his wife Kayla recently announced that their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, passed away on Oct. 26.
Amid such a devastating time for the family filled with unimaginable pain, Dodgers fans have donated over $30,000 to a Toronto hospital in their honor.
SickKids, a pediatric hospital in Toronto, said via the Toronto Star that more than 400 U.S. based donors left donations. According to Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com, many pledged to donate $51 in honor of Vesia’s jersey number.
Click Here for a link to donate to the Toronto-based hospital.
During the World Series, Dodgers relief pitchers showed support for Vesia and his family by adding a No. 51 on the side of their hats. In a tremendous show of support, ahead of Game 6, the entirety of the Blue Jays bullpen did the same. Manager Dave Roberts spoke on the impactful display postgame.
“It’s everything,” Roberts said. “I didn’t learn that until after the game last night, and I think it really speaks to the brotherhood of athletes, Major League Baseball players. They’ll all say that ‘baseball is what we do but its not who we are,’ and for these guys to recognize Alex, and what he and Kayla have gone through, heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor.
“But for them to acknowledge that, it just speaks to how much respect and love that they have for one another. It’s a huge, huge tribute to Alex.”
Although the game of baseball can seem so small in moments of tragedy, the Dodgers recently picked up Vesia’s $3.55 million club option for 2026.
Vesia has been one of the most effective bullpen pieces for the Dodgers this season, posting a 3.02 ERA across 68 appearances. Through the NLCS, he earned four holds and two wins, including the NLDS-clinching Game 5 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Vesia was instrumental on the road to the Dodgers first of back-to-back championships in 2024, attaining a career-best 1.76 ERA across a career-high 66.1 innings pitched. In seven appearances last postseason, four of which coming in the World Series, Vesia allowed no earned runs and recorded a save.
The entire Dodgers community sends its thoughts and prayers with the Vesia family during this time of grief and heartache.
