For the final two games of the 2025 World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in honoring pitcher Alex Vesia, who was forced to take a leave of absence from the Dodgers to attend to a personal family matter.
The teams both wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps as a tribute.
The Dodgers announced via their official Instagram account on Thursday, October 23, that Vesia, 29, would be stepping away from the team “as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal matter.”
“The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date,” the team said in a statement.
The announcement game before Game 1 of the World Series. During Game 3, on Monday, October 27, the Dodgers started wearing his No. 51 on their caps, in honor of their teammate.
“I’m new to the bullpen. But Ves, he means a lot to all of us,” said Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw in a press conference after Game 3. “He’s a huge part of the team, a huge part of the bullpen, so we wanted to do something to honor him.”
For Game 6, Blue Jays relievers Chris Bassitt, Seranthony Dominguez, Mason Fluharty and Louis Varland all joined in with the tribute.
“It’s everything,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to the media before Game 7 in Toronto. “I didn’t learn that until after the game last night. I think it really speaks to the brotherhood of athletes. … It just speaks to how much respect and love they have for one another. It’s a huge, huge tribute to Alex.”
Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez said he noticed Bassitt wearing the “51” after he struck out during Game 6.
“Instead of being mad that I struck out, I was kind of going back to the dugout thinking, ‘Did Bassitt play with Vesia at some point?’ ” Hernandez told the media.
He continued: “For those guys to do that, it’s incredible. They’re trying to win a World Series, but they understand that life is bigger than baseball and baseball is just a game. For them to do that, with the stakes, hats off to them. I want them to know that we appreciate them.”
Vesia has pitched for the Dodgers since 2021 and is considered one of their most valuable left-handed relievers. He went 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 68 regular-season games and was 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in seven postseason appearances.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider recognized the importance of the tribute.
“We have a lot of good people, a lot of good humans in there that are husbands and fathers and all that kind of stuff, that just appreciate what we all do and the hardships that come with it,” Schneider said.
The Dodgers have not announced a further update on the Vesia family, but he did not rejoin the team during the World Series. The team earned its second-consecutive championship with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 7 on Saturday, November 1.
