Jorge Lopez’s unexpected ejection on Wednesday afternoon in Queens, followed by comments in which he reportedly called his New York Mets “probably the worst team in the entire MLB,” ultimately led the team to designate him for designated waivers.
I mean, he was released after being ejected for throwing his glove into the stands and arguing with the Mets.
Lopez later tried to explain his comments to reporters in the Mets clubhouse after the game, saying in an Instagram Story that he had said he was a terrible teammate.
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Jorge Lopez, wearing number 52 for the New York Mets, plays against the Philadelphia Phillies in a game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on May 16, 2024. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
“For anyone to hear, what I said as a teammate and what I said in that situation was the worst teammate I could be,” Lopez wrote. “Thanks to the media for making the situation worse.”
This bizarre series of events has led many to speak out on the matter, including former MLB catcher and current Pittsburgh Pirates commentator Michael McKenry, who harshly criticized how the Mets handled the situation.
“I was really surprised by how poorly they handled it as an organization,” McKenley said on Outkick’s “Hot Mic” on Thursday. “I’ll just say it. [where] Spanish is his second language and there is no interpreter, which means he is left alone to speak only what he knows.
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“Most of what I learned about Spanish wasn’t good, so he’s going to go in the direction of what he knows and what he feels comfortable with, and he’s in an emotional state.”
The 31-year-old Lopez is from Puerto Rico, and Spanish-speaking players typically bring an interpreter to help them speak appropriately when answering questions from the media.
This is not unusual for Lopez, who is currently with his sixth MLB team after making his major league debut in 2015. Players have access to interpreters during questioning, but some choose to answer in English.
It’s unclear whether the Mets gave Lopez the option to use an interpreter or if he declined before the interview.
McKenley went on to say that while Lopez’s comments may have been misconstrued, it doesn’t justify his actions, which head coach Carlos Mendoza called “unacceptable” after the game.
Jorge Lopez, wearing number 52 of the New York Mets, plays against the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader at Citi Field on April 4, 2024 in New York City. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
“If you know anything about his history, you know he has issues off the field. He has a kid that’s struggling a lot,” McKenry explained, referring to Lopez’s son who is waiting for an organ transplant. “So he has more issues than the average person. But that’s no excuse to throw your glove in the stands and blame your organization. He got DFA’d today.”
“So, realistically, I think somebody needs to put their arm around this kid, shower him with love and say, ‘This is not OK,’ and not just ignore him. And I think the Mets have done that so many times, just ignore their players.”
The Mets have long been a team known for wild happenings on and off the field, to the point where the fan base expects such events to occur every year.
But the atmosphere around the team was very different two seasons ago when Steve Cohen bought the team. Expectations were high at Citi Field when Cohen opened his checkbook and acquired Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and other players to compete for a World Series championship.
New York won 101 games in 2022 but lost at home to the San Diego Padres in the best-of-three wild-card round. Still, things were looking up for the Mets.
That continued until last season, when they went an astounding 75-87, resulting in both Scherzer and Verlander being traded before the MLB deadline and the Mets essentially giving up on the season despite boasting the highest payroll in the league.
As McKenry noted, they still boast a higher payroll than other teams, but their record is 22-33, 11 games below .500.
New York Mets’ Jorge Lopez, wearing number 52, will play against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field in Queens, New York City on May 29, 2024. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
“I think they got the cart before the horse,” McKenry said of the Mets. “I think a guy who loved the organization and thought they knew best thought they could win a championship by hiring older guys. When that didn’t work out, I think he had no choice but to take a gamble, give up assets and lose his top player in all of this.”
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Things aren’t going well for the Mets, and the Lopez situation is just the latest example of the dysfunction happening in Flushing.
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