After Alex Vesia’s heartwarming (and successful) season debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers, his wife, Kayla, took to social media to congratulate him on behalf of herself and their late daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia.
“Sterling and I are so proud of you,” wrote Kayla in a Saturday, March 28, Instagram post, alongside a photo of her and Alex at Dodger Stadium. “We’re cheering you on forever. ♥️”
Alex commented on the photo, acknowledging the sentiment.
“Couldn’t be doing it without you!! ❤️,” he wrote.
Chelsea Freedman — wife of Alex’s teammate, Freddie — also chimed in on the post. (Chelsea has been a vocal supporter of the couple throughout the tragedy.)
“Love you guys ❤️❤️❤️❤️,” she said.
The Vesia couple announced in November 2025 that their daughter died. The heartbreaking news came as the Dodgers were competing for a World Series.
“Sterling Sol Vesia🪽. Our little angel we love you forever & you’re with us always,” Kayla wrote on Instagram on November 7. “Our beautiful daughter went to heaven Sunday October 26th. There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.”
Alex stepped away from the team before the World Series, missing their successful championship run, but returned to the field for the first time since the tragedy on Friday.
He pitched a scoreless inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks (the Dodgers won, 5-4), then left the mound to a standing ovation from fans at Dodger Stadium. Alex waved to the crowd on his way to the dugout, then pointed to his wife in the stands.
During his outing, he wore a customized glove with his daughter’s name etched on the side and her birth date on the inside. On the ring finger of the glove, he put the letter “K” to honor his wife, a tradition he has continued since the two started dating.
Before Friday’s game, Alex received his World Series ring from last season, despite missing the series due to the family tragedy.
On October 23, just one day before Game 1 of the World Series, the Dodgers announced that Alex was stepping away from the team to handle a “deeply personal matter.”
The announcement of his daughter’s death came two weeks later.
In a Thursday, March 26, Instagram post — on Opening Day of the MLB season — Vesia promised to make his daughter proud during the season.
“Same goals … different perspectives … new motivations,” Vesia captioned photos of himself on the field at Dodger Stadium. “Thankful for everyone who has stuck by me. Dodger Nation gonna bring the energy.”
He concluded the post, “I’m going to make you proud SSV ❤️.”
