Alex Vesia’s last Instagram post came on October 18. It was a carousel post, captioned with “Up next…World Series!!” All six slides showed him gearing up with his teammates and expecting to be part of the roster for the final stretch of the season. However, just five days later, the Dodgers announced that Vesia would be stepping away from the team ahead of the World Series to handle a “deeply personal family matter.”

After a thrilling World Series that stretched to Game 7, the Los Angeles Dodgers made history. They became the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back titles with a 5-4 extra-innings win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Then, a few days later, the city turned into a sea of blue as fans flooded the streets for the championship parade. While the parade came to an end at Dodger Stadium with celebratory speeches from manager Dave Roberts and the players, many felt that Vesia’s contributions were quietly overlooked.

Apparently, right after the parade, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and several teammates talked about chasing a three-peat next season. However, as many fans perceived it, Vesia’s absence went unacknowledged in the celebrations.

For the record, the Dodgers relievers did honor Vesia during game 6 by stitching his number 51 onto their caps. In fact, in a touching gesture, pitchers from the rival Toronto Blue Jays also followed suit.

While the reason for Alex Vesia’s absence hasn’t been shared, his wife, Kayla, was expecting their first child, a baby girl. Just before the World Series, she mentioned that her due date was right around the corner.

Top Stories

Bo Bichette’s Blue Jays Exit Confirmed as NL West Rival Becomes Biggest Offseason Threat, per Insider

Blue Jays’ $150M Boost Ignites Bo Bichette Frenzy as Free Agency War With Dodgers, Yankees Mounts

Yankees’ True Villain Behind Aaron Judge’s Wasted Prime Exposed and It’s Not Boone or Cashman

Blue Jays Tied to $400M Splurge as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Fires Bold Message After World Series Heartbreak

Moreover, right after the Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7, Will Klein, who filled in for Alex Vesia in the series, revealed how the Dodgers kept Vesia and his wife at the forefront of their minds. “We’ve all messaged him and just wanted him to know that he was in our hearts. We did this all for him,” he told reporters.

Despite this, the Dodgers received criticism for overlooking Vesia’s contributions in getting them to the playoffs.

The Dodgers faced backlash for not giving enough attention to Alex Vesia’s absence

With Alex Vesia off the roster, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts turned to Will Klein to fill the spot. In the team’s thrilling 18-inning Game 3 win, Klein, who had never thrown more than 45 pitches in relief, delivered four scoreless innings and a career-high 72 pitches.

Yet, fans were already upset about Vesia’s absence, and many felt the Dodgers could’ve shown a bit more care and concern for him. “They didn’t mention Alex Vesia once, to wish him the best and to appreciate how good he was for them.” A fan noted. Fans felt the Dodgers’ on-field celebrations after the win should’ve shown a bit more acknowledgment of Vesia.

Another fan frustratingly noted, “You would have thought the Dodgers organization would have at least acknowledged Alex Vesia today. No class.” That’s not entirely true, though. Will Klein had reached out to Vesia, and as per the former, the Dodgers’ win belongs to Vesia too, even though he wasn’t there.

Yet, fans felt the other way around. “I’m shocked nobody has mentioned Vesia today.” Another fan echoed a similar sentiment: “Not even a ‘this is for vesia’ like bruh.”

Well, both the Dodgers and Blue Jays honored Vesia during Game 6. And as Klein shared after Game 7, the Dodgers had been checking in on him throughout. It might not have been obvious, but the team missed Vesia just as much.

Regardless, another fan stated, “Not a single member of the Dodgers organization even acknowledged Vesia’s contribution to the season when they could have easily done so without violating his family’s privacy. Pretty distasteful.” For the record, Alex Vesia recorded a 3.02 ERA across 68 outings in the regular season. He had appeared in seven of Los Angeles’ 10 games this postseason.

At the time of Vesia’s absence announcement, Dave Roberts opened up about how his void is going to be missed in the final stretch. “We have a lot of viable options. I don’t know what situation will present itself. But I trust all the guys, I really do, and guys are going to have to step up. But Alex is certainly going to be missed,” Roberts said a week ago.

Now, moving forward, we will have to stay patient for more word on Alex Vesia. Let’s see what the off-season and the next campaign have in store for him.