The Los Angeles Dodgers will be down one of their most reliable pitchers to begin their World Series clash against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia is currently away from the team as he and his wife “navigate a deeply personal family matter.” The Dodgers announced the news on Thursday, adding that the team will “provide an update at a later date.”

Losing Vesia to start the World Series is a huge blow to a Dodgers bullpen that has been shaky throughout most of the season. The 29-year-old has been one of the team’s more dependable relief pitchers, posting a 3.02 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 68 regular season games.

Vesia has been the Dodgers’ second-most-used bullpen arm this postseason, behind converted starter Roki Sasaki. After allowing two earned runs in his first relief appearance this postseason, Vesia has not allowed a run in his last six playoff games.

Vesia was similarly stingy during the Dodgers’ World Series run last season. He did not yield a single run in seven playoff games en route to earning his first World Series ring. Vesia missed the 2024 NLCS due to an intercostal injury, but returned to pitch 2.2 spotless innings in the Fall Classic.