Dodgers’ Alex Vesia Breaks Silence on the Death of His and Wife Kayla’s First Baby Together
Dodgers’ Alex Vesia Breaks Silence on the Death of His and Wife Kayla’s First Baby Together
Daniel S. LevineSat, February 14, 2026 at 4:19 AM UTC
0
Alex Vesia
Kayla Vesia/Instagram; Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty
Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia made his first public comments on the death of his newborn daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, in a six-minute statement he read to the media on Feb. 13
Vesia and his wife Kayla announced Sterling's death in November
"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," Vesia said
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia spoke out publicly for the first time since he missed the 2025 World Series following the tragic death of his newborn daughter in October.
Vesia, 29, and his wife, Kayla, announced the death of their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, on Nov. 7, nearly a week after she died on Oct. 26. The Dodgers previously said the reliever would not travel to Toronto to face the Blue Jays in the World Series due to a “deeply personal family matter” on Oct. 23. He did not return to the team before the series ended with a Dodgers Game 7 win on Nov. 1.
“The lessons we've learned from this is that life can change in an instant. For us, 10 minutes is all it took,” Vesia told the media at Comeback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., where the Dodgers gathered to begin spring training, on Friday, Feb. 13.
Vesia said Sterling was “the most beautiful girl in the world” during his six-minute statement, per MLB.com. “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."
In his statement, Vesia mentioned that he and his wife have sought therapy to help in the grieving process six weeks ago and advised others to do the same when facing similar tragedies.
"For those out there who've lost a child or are fighting through any struggle, if you can take anything from this, please seek help," he said. "Talk to somebody. It's definitely helped Kay and I. Please don't be afraid to speak up."
Alex Vesia
Christian Petersen/Getty
During the World Series, Dodgers relievers began wearing hats with Vesia’s number 51 written on them. Blue Jays relievers did the same to show their support, a move of kindness that Vesia did not ignore on Friday.
Advertisement
“When Kay and I were watching the World Series, we noticed that there was [No.] 51 on Louis Varland's hat," Vesia said, referring to the Blue Jays pitcher. Vesia said he didn’t believe it at first and texted Varland’s brother Gus, who replied, “The Varlands love you, dude. The whole Toronto bullpen has it, too. It's bigger than baseball. We love you all.”
"Kay and I, we were very emotional,” Vesia said Friday. “We were super overwhelmed with emotion and the baseball community, the relationships that you make along the way… It showed that it's much bigger than baseball."
Alex Vesia and his wife Kaya in October 2019.
Alex Vesia/Instagram
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Vesia and Kay married in January 2024. In April 2025, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together.
In January, Kay used TikTok to thank fans and the baseball community for their support.
“It just felt right to come on here and say ‘Thank you,’ ” Kay said in the Jan. 2 post. “I am really grateful for the community of you guys, and just expressing your support and love towards us. It really has brought us a lot of comfort during this."
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
