David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets parted ways with one of their relief pitchers after an explosive incident with an umpire culminated in his ejection during their 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
Lopez was disgruntled and carefree after umpire Ramon De Jesus threw him out of the game for disputing a check swing call. The veteran pitcher threw his glove into the stands on his way off the field.
After the game, he had this to say about the controversy, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN:
“Whatever happened, happened. I’ll be here tomorrow if they want me. Whatever they want to do. I’m going to keep doing this thing, you know,” Lopez remarked before explaining why he reacted in such a manner.
“Just something out of emotions. I just don’t give a f— [about] anything.”
Lopez’s frustrations mounted over after giving up three runs in the eighth inning with the score tied at 3-3. Further, his blunder was a byproduct of the bullpen’s poor play throughout the month of May.
It hasn’t been all bad for him in 2024, though. The Puerto Rican talent joined the Mets ahead of this season, making New York the eighth franchise he’s played for. He was enjoying the second-best season of his career since his All-Star campaign in 2022 before being released.
In 28 games, eight of which he finished, the 31-year-old went 1-2 with a 3.76 ERA and 19 strikeouts. The Mets did not place his steady contributions over the incident and now have a leadup spot to fill in their rotation.
This post was published on 2024-05-31 08:45
