The wife of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia admits the start of the new MLB season is ‘bittersweet’ five months after their newborn daughter’s tragic death.
Vesia, 29, missed the entirety of the Dodgers’ World Series victory last year after he and wife Kayla lost their baby girl, Sterling.
The left-hander made his return to the mound earlier this month when LA reported for Spring Training, before he was at Dodger Stadium for their MLB opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
After attending the game, Kayla shared a photo of herself at the stadium on what was a ‘very bittersweet opening day’ in light of Sterling’s passing.
‘What I would give to have my Sterling girl here, carrying her in my heart always,’ she wrote alongside the picture on Instagram.
Vesia was not involved in Thursday’s game, nevertheless, as the Dodgers got their title defense up and running with an opening 8-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia’s wife admits the start of the new MLB season is ‘bitter sweet’
Kayla, who attended LA’s opening game, and her husband recently lost their baby daughter
Vesia returned to the mound in Spring Training after missing the Dodgers’ World Series win
The reliever read an emotional statement upon his return for Spring Training last month, thanking Kayla, the Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays and fans for their support during a difficult experience.
‘The lessons we’ve learned from this is that life can change in an instant for us,’ he said. ‘Ten minutes is all it took. Sterling’s soul was the most beautiful girl in the world. We got to hold her, change her diaper, read to her and love her. Our time together was far too short.’
He said missing the World Series was difficult but ‘an easy decision, because my family needed me.’ The Dodgers beat the Blue Jays in seven games to win their second straight title.
In Game 6, all the Blue Jays’ relievers wore his No. 51 on their caps. Vesia’s bullpen teammates had the number inscribed throughout the series.
Vesia also thanked the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, who sent him a jersey with all of the team’s signatures, which he said he’ll have framed in his home. He said he and his wife started therapy at the start of the year and that ‘talking to someone has made a difference.’
The baseball star encouraged those who were struggling with a difficult situation to talk to somebody.
Vesia added last month 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.’
