New York Mets pitcher Jorge López throws glove into crowd after being ejected, then delivers postgame rant
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — New York Mets pitcher Jorge López threw his glove into the crowd following his ejection from a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday – and then followed that up with a post-game rant for the ages that multiple reports say is expected to end his season with the team.
The 31-year-old López gave up a two-run home run to Shohei Ohtani in the eighth inning before being ejected by third-base umpire Ramon De Jesus for shouting at him, over a check swing call that didn’t go his way.
On his way to the dugout, López untucked his jersey and then threw his glove into the Citi Field crowd. The Mets would go on to lose to the Dodgers 10-3.
“I don’t regret it,” an unapologetic Lopez told reporters after the game.
“Whatever happens happens. Whatever they want to do, I’ll be tomorrow here if they want me.
“I’m going to keep doing this thing,” added the Puerto Rican pitcher. “I’m healthy. I’m ready to come back tomorrow if they want me to be here.”
According to MLB.com reporter Anthony DiComo, López, who is a native Spanish speaker, also said a comment in English in front of reporters which was interpreted by those present as either calling the Mets “the worst team in the whole f**king MLB” or calling himself “the worst teammate in the whole f**king MLB.”
Later in the same postgame interview, López was asked if he called New York “the worst team” in MLB to which he said: “Yeah, probably, it looked like.”
According to DiComo, López later clarified through a clubhouse source that he meant to say that he was the worst teammate on the worst team.
On Thursday, López posted on his Instagram story: “Who ever hear me I said ‘teammate’ and what I said on the situation I been the worst teammate. Thanks media for make it worse.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza called López’s outburst “unacceptable” and that it would be handled internally.
“It definitely doesn’t look good,” Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor told reporters afterwards. “If our manager says it’s unacceptable, it’s unacceptable. I hope tomorrow [López] feels completely different. … If he doesn’t, at the end of the day, he’s our teammate and we’ve got to go out there and compete, day in and day out, and I’ll back him up.”
According to multiple reports, Lopez is expected to be designated for assignment (DFA) by the team, but no official announcement has been made.
DFA is when a player is immediately removed from a club’s 40-man roster and can be either traded or placed on waivers within seven days of having their contract designated as such.
CNN has reached out to the Mets for comment.
Following Wednesday’s defeat, the Mets slip to a record of 22-33 on the season having lost their last three.
His frustration, and the frustrating season of the New York Mets all seem to have bubbled out in front of fans at Citi Field as the team finds itself sixteen games out of first place.
“We’re just not getting it done,” Mets reliever Adam Ottavino said. “We’re not throwing up zeroes when we need them, and we’re not getting the hits when we need them. And we’re not putting the at-bats together, we’re not playing the defense. It’s really all over the board. We stink right now.”
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