Mets Pitcher Jorge Lopez Clears Up 'Worst Team' Comments Following Major Backlash
New York Mets pitcher Jorge Lopez had a rough outing on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which snowballed into getting DFA'd by the club.
Having battled personal issues in the past and dealing with an ongoing tragedy, Lopez was frustrated and couldn't hold back his emotions.
While Lopez's on-the-mound performance left much to be desired, the pitcher's ejection and post-game comments had people buzzing.
Lopez received the boot from the third-base umpire after arguing a check swing. As he walked to the dugout, Lopez tossed his glove into the home crowd, displaying poor sportsmanship.
After the 10-3 loss, Lopez spoke on his eighth-inning ejection. The Puerto Rican tried to recap the incident with a choppy translation. His remark regarding being seen as "the worst teammate" in baseball over his on-the-field tantrum was interpreted as "the Mets are the worst team" in MLB, which set off a wave of backlash.
Soon after his comment went viral, Lopez was Designated for Assignment.
Jorge Lopez took to his social media on Thursday to clarify his comments. He aimed at the media for misconstruing his comments and showed pride in wearing a Mets uniform, contrary to the sentiments tossed around the ‘ungrateful’ player, which didn't hold up for more than a day.
NEW YORK - Jorge López of the New York Mets in action against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on May 29, 2024. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Lopez also apologized for his glove toss.
"First and foremost, I apologize to my teammates, coaches, fans, and front office," Lopez's statement read.
"I feel that I let them down yesterday, both on and off the field. I also want to clarify my post-game remarks, because I had no intention of disparaging the New York Mets organization."
Lopez admitted that his ‘broken’ English led to a big misinterpretation.
"During that interview, I spoke candidly about my frustrations with my personal performance and how I felt it made me ‘the worst teammate in the entire league.’
"Unfortunately, my efforts to address the media in English created some confusion and generated headlines that do not reflect what I was trying to express. I wish the team the best and hope that God continues to give me strength and guidance in my personal and professional life."
On Thursday, Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza spoke on Lopez's comments, confirming that the player was DFA'd for his poor choice of words.
"We have standards here, and I told you guys yesterday that behaviors like that, we weren't going to tolerate that. So, that's why we made the decision." Mendoza said, relayed by SNY.
Mets first baseman Pete Alonso — who left Wednesday's contest in the first after being hit by a pitch — was stunned by Lopez's postgame remarks.
"I really don't necessarily know what to think," Alonso reacted on Thursday.
As for his off-the-field concerns, Lopez's son suffers from a rare disorder called Familial Mediterranean Fever and is awaiting a transplant.
Additionally, Jorge Lopez took time away from baseball to deal with mental health issues.
While Lopez's glove toss wasn't justifiable, showing grace to a player under duress is all right.
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