Los Angeles – In a tense press conference before the World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers head coach Dave Roberts shared a rare but emotional message when asked about Alex Vesia’s absence from the roster due to “family reasons.”
No longer his usual tactical tone, Roberts lowered the microphone, hesitated, and then spoke slowly:
“I understand fans have a right to be disappointed, but please understand — there are battles that no one sees. And Vesia… he’s fighting one of those battles.”
“He’s not leaving the Dodgers – he’s just on a different front.”
Alex Vesia, 28, one of the Dodgers’ bullpen’s key players, was cut from the 2025 World Series roster just before Game 1. According to multiple inside sources, he left the team due to a very personal family matter, and the team fully supported that decision.
With the Dodgers desperate for a title after a disappointing playoff season, losing Vesia – who had a 2.48 ERA in 59 appearances this season – was a huge blow. Some fans expressed their displeasure on social media, saying “the team needs him on the field, not at home.”
Roberts immediately responded strongly to that wave of criticism.
“We talk a lot about sacrifice, about team spirit. But real sacrifice doesn’t just happen on the field. Sometimes, it’s about leaving the spotlight to stand by the person you love when they need it most.”
A team source told The Athletic that before leaving, Vesia told his teammates, “You guys just play your best. I’ll watch every pitch, every catch, every celebration. Just from afar.”
In the Dodgers’ clubhouse, Vesia’s chair remained untouched—along with the glove he usually wore during warmups. “Nobody dared sit in it,” one player, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. “We considered it his seat—and it will remain so until he comes back.”
Throughout the season, Dave Roberts has been known as a teacher who knows how to protect his players. But this time, his feelings ran deeper.
“I lost someone when I was a player. I know that feeling of helplessness. Vesia is not giving up—he’s just in a different battle, where baseball can’t help but love and pray.”
Roberts stressed that the Dodgers fully support Vesia, and the team will dedicate this victory to him. “If we lift the trophy, it will be for Alex and his family.”
The team may be in the midst of the most prestigious title fight of the season, but Alex Vesia’s story reminds us that sports are about more than just the numbers on the scoreboard. Sometimes, the real victory is when you drop the gloves and hold the hand of the person you love.
Dave Roberts ended the press conference with a statement that silenced the room:
“The World Series is every player’s dream. But sometimes, there are dreams bigger than that trophy — to be with the person you love when they need you most.”
And in the bright lights of Los Angeles, Alex Vesia’s empty seat in the Dodgers dugout still sat there — quietly, but meaningfully.
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