Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia made his long-awaited return to the mound on Monday, four months after the death of his newborn daughter.
The left-hander, 29, missed the entirety of his team’s World Series victory last year after he and his wife, Kayla, lost their baby daughter, Sterling.
The reliever returned to the team earlier this month as the Dodgers reported for Spring Training ahead of their quest for a World Series three-peat this season.
Vesia made his official return to action on Monday in a 3-0 Spring Training win over the Seattle Mariners.
He may have only thrown 17 pitches for three outs in one inning, but Vesia said following the game that it couldn’t have meant more.
‘We’ve been waiting for that one,’ Vesia said afterward. ‘It was a little overwhelming … just trying to take it all in.’
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia made his long-awaited return to the mound Monday
Dodgers star Vesia and wife Kayla announced last year that their baby daughter died
Vesia added that he had rediscovered his love and enthusiasm for the sport after a long, challenging winter of grieving.
‘I just want to have fun on the mound,’ he said. ‘I just want to be able to spazz out and be myself out there. Because right now, I feel really good out there. It’s just me and myself and baseball.’
He expressed his gratitude for the support that he and his wife have received in the wake of their heartbreaking loss, saying that even at Spring Training ‘we walk out the doors, and (there was) cheers and lots of love. It means a lot.’
Vesia has been working towards his comeback since November, spending extra time in the gym, where he sought mental clarity amid his grief.
He added that it ‘has been hard, (but) hard in a good way, because I want to interact with the fans and all that, but I know I have a job to do.’
Vesia received a rousing ovation from the crowd as he entered the 3-0 win at the start of the fifth inning, and was greeted by high-fives and a warm reception from his teammates when he returned to the dugout.
‘To see him get back out here in a baseball game, in a big league game, and have a clean inning and be received by the fans, I know it meant a lot to him,’ manager Dave Roberts said. ‘And obviously, his teammates feel for him and want to support him. So today was a really good day for Alex.’
Vesia, a critical member of the Dodgers’ bullpen, was removed from Los Angeles’ World Series roster just days before the Fall Classic against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Alex and Kayla pictured celebrating the Dodgers’ playoff success together in early October
The team kept largely quiet on Vesia’s absence throughout its seven-game win over the Blue Jays.
After also missing the Dodgers’ championship parade, Vesia revealed that his daughter had passed away shortly after the World Series began.
In Game 6, all the Blue Jays’ relievers wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps. Vesia’s bullpen teammates had the number inscribed throughout the series.
The Rams, one of Los Angeles’ NFL teams, gifted Vesia a jersey signed by the entire team, with his daughter’s name emblazoned on the back.
