Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and wife mourn daughter's stillbirth

Los Angeles Dodgers player Alex Vesia and his wife Kayla announced the stillbirth of their infant daughter on Monday.

Key Takeaways:

• In April, Vesia announced he was expecting a baby with his wife, Kayla.

• On October 23, the Dodgers announced Vesia would not be playing during the World Series.

• Vesia then announced that his baby girl was stillborn.

The Details:

Kayla and Alex did not announce their loss on social media until November 10. They wrote that their daughter, Sterling Sol, “went to heaven Sunday October 26th.” The couple indicated their heartbreak, saying, “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.”

It is not clear how Sterling Sol passed away. A visibly pregnant Kayla was present at the games leading up to the World Series, supporting Alex. 

The Dodgers announced that the relief pitcher would not be joining the team at the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on October 23, citing a “deeply personal family matter.”

Throughout the World Series, the team and MLB honored the Vesias' privacy, issuing no further announcements, but Alex’s fellow relievers began putting his number — 51 — on their hats for Game 3. In a touching act of solidarity, Toronto’s relievers started doing the same during Game 6 of the series.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke on the gesture:

"I think it really speaks to the brotherhood of athletes, Major League Baseball players. They’ll all say that ‘baseball is what we do but its not who we are,’ and for these guys to recognize Alex, and what he and Kayla have gone through, heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor.

But for them to acknowledge that, it just speaks to how much respect and love that they have for one another. It’s a huge, huge tribute."

On November 2, the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays during Game 7 of the World Series. Less than a week later, the Vesias announced the tragic reason behind Alex’s absence. 

Zoom In:

In a beautiful gesture of gratitude for the support shown by the opposing Toronto Blue Jays, hundreds of Dodgers fans have made donations, many in the amount of Alex’s number, $51, to Toronto-based pediatric hospital, Sick Kids. The hospital says they’ve received thousands of dollars in donations since the Vesias’ announcement.

The Bottom Line:

Losing a child is one of the most painful things a parent can experience, yet it is tragically not uncommon. An estimated 21,000 families are affected by stillbirth each year in the United States alone, though due to underreporting, the true number could be even higher.