Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia emotionally returns to the mound, feeling the deep support from fans.

After all that happened, Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia appeared unchanged when he first stepped onto the mound at Camelback Ranch this spring. However, he and his wife Kyla bear the daily weight of their newborn daughter Sterling Sol’s passing last October.

The baseball world has extended its support to the Vesia family. During the World Series, Dodgers and Blue Jays relievers wore his number 51 on their hats to show solidarity. At spring training, fans greeted him with enthusiastic cheers. Today, when he pitched a scoreless inning in the Dodgers’ 3-0 spring training win over the Seattle Mariners, the crowd at Camelback Ranch and teammates in the dugout stood and applauded him.

“It’s actually been tough. It’s a good kind of tough,” Vesia said. “Because I want to engage with the fans, but I know I have a job to do. Even on the first day at the minor field, when we walked out, there was cheering and so much love. That means a lot to me and Kyla.”

Vesia has been open about the pain of losing his daughter shortly after her birth. Preparing for the new season has helped him look forward rather than dwell on the past. He said working out in the gym during the offseason gave him “mental clarity.”

At Dodgers spring training, Vesia seems to continue finding joy in the small moments of baseball’s arrival. He even brought his trademark energy to live drills, shouting “Yeah!” excitedly after striking out Shohei Ohtani last week at the minor field.

“I think baseball players are really good at compartmentalizing emotions, but this is obviously hard,” said manager Dave Roberts. “But I do believe getting back to the gym, throwing in the bullpen, and preparing for the season has a kind of healing effect.”

Literal healing has also aided Vesia’s recovery. Earlier in spring training, he spoke about how expressing his grief has brought change, despite the difficulty. That day, when Vesia delivered a six-minute statement to the media, he was visibly emotional, taking deep breaths to stay composed.

This is the other side of the joy Vesia shows on the mound. Through highs and lows, he never hides his feelings. His teammates have witnessed both sides, and their support means the world to him.

“I think I said in the statement that being around my teammates is really comforting,” Vesia said. “We’ve had many conversations, and they ask me questions trying to understand how I feel. Honestly, it’s a blessing. I really like talking about it with them. I don’t want them to feel like it’s off-limits because sharing these important moments — these people are my brothers. I really love all of them.”

“Being with my teammates is truly comforting.”

On January 15th, Kyla shared on TikTok that Vesia will use a glove embroidered with their daughter’s name and birthdate this season to honor her memory.

The Dodgers are doing their best to understand everything Vesia has been through. From low-stakes spring training games to more critical contests later on, they stand by his side. Perhaps they, like Vesia, deeply appreciate the fans at Camelback Ranch for all their support.

“That guy has been through something you would never wish on your worst enemy,” said Dalton Rushing, the catcher who squatted for Vesia today. “The person he is and the character he shows is impressive. In this world, it’s hard to ask many people to go through something like that and still perform the way he does.”