Alex Vesia unlikely to appear in World Series as he steps away from team for personal issue

It doesn’t appear Alex Vesia will be returning for the World Series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Game 1 on Friday that Vesia “most likely” won’t play for the team in the Fall Classic as he deals with an undisclosed personal matter. On Thursday, the team announced that Vesia will be “away from the team.”“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 president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team left him off the roster rather than place him on the family emergency list to ensure Vesia wouldn’t be pressured to return. “This is so much bigger than baseball,” Friedman said.

“And for us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just 100% be supportive.”Vesia and his wife, Kayla, announced in April they were expecting a baby.The absence of Vesia is a significant blow to a Dodgers bullpen that has struggled this season.The left-hander posted a 3.02 ERA over 59⅔ innings for LA this season. Since 2021, Vesia has boasted a 2.67 ERA and 364 strikeouts over 295 appearances.He had already made seven appearances during the Dodgers’ postseason run, getting a win against both the Brewers and Phillies....