For the ultimate two video games of the 2025 World Collection, the Toronto Blue Jays joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in honoring pitcher Alex Vesia, who was pressured to take a go away of absence from the Dodgers to take care of a private household matter.
The groups each wore Vesia's No. 51 on their caps as a tribute.
The Dodgers introduced through their official Instagram account on Thursday, October 23, that Vesia, 29, could be stepping away from the group “as he and his spouse Kayla navigate a deeply private matter.”
“Your entire Dodgers group is sending our ideas to the Vesia household, and we are going to present an replace at a later date,” the group stated in an announcement.
The announcement recreation earlier than Recreation 1 of the World Collection. Throughout Recreation 3, on Monday, October 27, the Dodgers began carrying his No. 51 on their caps, in honor of their teammate.
“I'm new to the bullpen. However Ves, he means lots to all of us,” stated Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw in a press convention after Recreation 3. “He's an enormous a part of the group, an enormous a part of the bullpen, so we needed to do one thing to honor him.”
For Recreation 6, Blue Jays relievers Chris Bassitt, Seranthony Dominguez, Mason Fluharty and Louis Varland all joined in with the tribute.
Seranthony Domínguez #48 of the Toronto Blue Jays Emilee Chinn/Getty Photos)
“It's the whole lot,” stated Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts to the media earlier than Recreation 7 in Toronto. “I didn't study that till after the sport final evening. I believe it actually speaks to the brotherhood of athletes. … It simply speaks to how a lot respect and love they've for each other. It's an enormous, enormous tribute to Alex.”
Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez stated he seen Bassitt carrying the “51” after he struck out throughout Recreation 6.
“As a substitute of being mad that I struck out, I used to be type of going again to the dugout considering, ‘Did Bassitt play with Vesia sooner or later?' ” Hernandez informed the media.
He continued: “For these guys to do this, it's unimaginable. They're making an attempt to win a World Collection, however they perceive that life is larger than baseball and baseball is only a recreation. For them to do this, with the stakes, hats off to them. I need them to know that we recognize them.”
Because the Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed over the Toronto Blue Jays throughout Recreation 3 of the World Collection, they honored teammate Alex Vesia, who stays absent for a private matter. Through the recreation at Dodger Stadium on Monday, October 27, a number of Dodgers gamers, together with pitcher Justin Wrobleski, wore Vesia's quantity, 51, on their caps as […]
Vesia has pitched for the Dodgers since 2021 and is taken into account one among their most useful left-handed relievers. He went 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 68 regular-season video games and was 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in seven postseason appearances.
Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider acknowledged the significance of the tribute.
“We've got plenty of good folks, plenty of good people in there which are husbands and fathers and all that type of stuff, that simply recognize what all of us do and the hardships that include it,” Schneider stated.
The Dodgers haven't introduced an extra replace on the Vesia household, however he didn't rejoin the group through the World Collection. The group earned its second-consecutive championship with an exciting 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays in Recreation 7 on Saturday, November 1.
