There has been something on the minds and on the hats of Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers during the World Series and it has nothing to do with Blue Jays batters.
Some baseball fans tuning in for this year’s thrilling Fall Classic have noticed that members of the Dodgers bullpen have written the No. 51 on the side of their hats, with many observers wondering why.
It turns out that it is a tribute to one of their brethren who can’t be with them during the most crucial part of the season – Alex Vesia.
The left-handed relief pitcher, who is a key member of the Dodgers’ bullpen, was not on the team’s World Series roster after it was announced last week that he would be taking a leave for a personal matter.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter,” the Dodgers said in a statement posted to X.
“The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last Thursday before rosters were announced that the team was going “day-to-day with no expectations” of a return for Vesia.
To keep Vesia in their hearts and minds, Dodgers pitchers chose to write his No. 51 on their caps as a show of support.
As the World Series now returns to Toronto for Game 6 on Friday, it remains unclear what the personal matter is.
Vesia and his wife, Kayla, announced in April that she was pregnant.
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In an Instagram post, the couple – with the help of their two dogs – revealed they were expecting a girl.
Vesia served as part of the Dodgers closer-by-committee approach during the season, collecting five saves.
He appeared in 68 games this season, pitching 59.2 innings with an ERA of 3.02 and a record of 4-2.
Vesia also was a key part of the Dodgers 2024 World Series championship, keeping a tidy 1.76 ERA over 67 regular-season appearances and not giving up a single run in 5.2 playoff innings.