MLB
Why did Jorge López apologize to the Mets?
The Puerto Rican pitcher was removed from the New York team after the controversy surrounding his comments following his ejection.
Puerto Rican pitcher Jorge López has been separated from the New York Mets and designated for assignment a day after he was ejected from the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The movement was made official by the organization later this afternoon.
Lopez allowed two runs on a home run by Shohei Ohtani and was thrown out of the game after arguing a strike against Freddie Freeman. On his way to the dugout, the Puerto Rican threw the glove into the stands in an outburst.
After the game, he stated that he did not regret throwing the mitt and that he was the worst teammate on the worst team in the major leagues. However, the 31-year-old pitcher clarified the situation regarding his comments through a post on his Instagram account in which he apologized to the team for misinterpreting his statements.
“First of all, I apologize to my teammates, coaches, fans, and team management. I feel like I let them down yesterday, both on and off the field. […] During that interview, I spoke frankly about my frustrations with my personal performance and how I felt like I was becoming “the worst teammate in the entire league,” the pitcher said.
The pitcher said his mistake was trying to communicate in English when it was not his native language. Likewise, he noted that he had the best wishes for the team.
Jorge López’s numbers with the New York Mets
Lopez is a nine-year veteran who has played for the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins, and Mets.
Born in Caguas 31 years ago, he signed a one-year, two-million-dollar contract to play with the New York Mets in 2024. Unfortunately, he only made 28 appearances for the Mets. Lopez worked 26 1/3 innings, allowing 11 runs and striking out 19 batters, resulting in a 3.76 ERA.