PORT STREET LUCIE — Carlos Mendoza witnessed it firsthand when he was with the Yankees. slider. Two-seam fastball. In 2022, Jorge Lopez will be the dynamic anchor of the Orioles’ bullpen, with six of his first 44 appearances (19 saves leading to an All-Star appearance) coming against their AL East rivals. It was a battle.
But after the stretch, that version of Lopez disappeared.
After Baltimore released him to the Twins in 2022, his ERA ballooned from 1.68 to 4.37, and the converted starter was traded once and traded twice in the last 12 months before becoming a free agent for the first time. Nominated twice.
Still, the Mets made him their first bullpen signing of the offseason.
Edwin Diaz isn’t coming back, and he probably won’t be filling the closer’s spot, especially given his recent performance, but the four Mendoza cited on Monday when discussing who could pitch eight innings depending on the matchup. One of the people’s names was Lopez.
“I still have things,” Lopez told the Post on Sunday. “I believe.”
His results this spring have been mixed.
He pitched two scoreless innings with three other players, allowing one run, including Sunday’s game against the Tigers, where he allowed three hits. However, Lopez said that his various roles over the past two years put him in a position to help fill the pitching holes the Mets need to fill during games.
“For me, no matter what the situation is, it’s just staying focused from the sixth, seventh, eighth inning,” Lopez said, adding that depending on the rest of his pitching plan, “it could be the ninth inning.” he added.
But just staying with the Mets this season would give Lopez more stability.
He started for the Twins in 2022, but struggled with a rising ERA. He was placed on the 15-day injured list in late June to address his mental health and was reset last year after the team complained that he “kicked, punched, and got angry easily.”
He’s still pitching bullpen sessions, consulting with a psychologist and “taking himself out of the game a little bit,” he said Sunday. Minnesota traded Lopez to the Marlins by the end of the month, but Miami’s pitching staff still couldn’t get results back.
“The stuff was there,” Lopez said. “It sucked. It was really good. But mentally, when I suffered, I couldn’t recover.”
In the end, he returned to the Orioles before the end of the season. He then became a free agent for the first time. Lopez has been on a 100-loss team so far, and it will be difficult for him to survive the season. He was on a postseason-level team where he was one of the least effective pitchers.
But after an eventful 2022 season (5.13 ERA in 49 games with the trio), Lopez needed a chance. Even if they looked different, their role wasn’t necessarily important.
He knows how quickly everything can change.
“He’s doing well,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got Vero. His pitching movement is obviously a two-seam, slider. … We expect him to be a big part of the bullpen, and so far he’s been great here in camp. They are showing performance.”
