The Mets entered this season on the short list of teams with real World Series chances. Unfortunately for the team and its fans, the Mets have started to Met already, and one of the team’s players just left a zero-star review in the clubhouse after their latest loss.
During Wednesday's 10-3 loss to the Dodgers — the team’s eighth loss in nine games — Mets reliever Jorge Lopez was ejected from the game by third base umpire Ramon DeJesus after arguing a checked-swing call. On his way off the field, Lopez fired his glove over the netting and into the stands.
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the incident, “What we saw out of [Lopez] today was unacceptable. We will address that, we will address that internally.”
That was just the appetizer.
The main course came during Lopez’s postgame clubhouse interview. Normally, people try to calm down after such a highly-charged episode before speaking to the media, to avoid saying something they really don’t mean. But Lopez seemed to come in off the top rope, throwing the entire organization under the proverbial bus.
Asked if he regretted his actions on the field, Lopez said he did not:
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"I think I've been on [what's] looking [like] the worst team in probably the whole f—ing MLB. So, you know, whatever happens, happens. Whatever they want to do. I’ll be here tomorrow if they want me, whatever they want to do."
Within an hour of saying those words, the team announced that Lopez was being designated for assignment.
Lopez is a veteran reliever who is, for lack of a better term, well-traveled. The Mets were his sixth MLB team in nine seasons. He was having a solid season before this week. Today he was charged with two runs in one-third of an inning. In three outings over the past six days, he has seen his season ERA balloon from 2.25 to 3.76.
After Wednesday's outburst, both on the field and off, it remains to be seen if any other team will take any interest in his services.