Mets designate former all-star pitcher for assignment following viral rant

MLB: Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
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Things just keep going from bad to worse for the 2024 Mets.

The blue and orange are 11 games under .500 (22-33) with a little more than a third of the season played and have endured heartbreaking loss after loss.

However, Wednesday may have been the Mets’ worst day yet.

Before the first pitch of game three of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the blue and orange announced that they had to place star closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list due to a right shoulder impingement.

Then, in the bottom of the first inning, star slugger Pete Alonso got hit on the right hand by a 93 mph fastball from James Paxton and had to exit the game due to the injury.

That would not be the end of things.

Fireworks in the 8th inning

After entering the eighth inning tied at three, Adam Ottavino struggled, allowing three hits, a walk, and four earned runs while recording just one before yielding the ball to Jorge López.

MLB: New York Mets at Tampa Bay Rays
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

López then picked up where Ottavino left off, allowing Miguel Vargas to double before getting Mookie Betts to fly out and then Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run home run. 

The 31-year-old then went to work on notorious Met killer Freddie Freeman and thought he had gotten Freeman to go around on an 87 mph slider, but third-base umpire Ramon De Jesus thought otherwise and said that the Dodgers first-baseman checked his swing.

López and De Jesus started yelling at one another before the third base umpire ejected the 31-year-old. López, frustrated with the decision, chucked his glove over the protective netting and into the crowd.

López lets it loose postgame

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said postgame that López’s actions were “not acceptable,” but the 31-year-old doubled down on his actions.

“No, I don’t regret it,” López said when asked about the incident.“I think I’ve been on the worst team in probably the whole f–king MLB.”

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, López later clarified that he meant he was the worst teammate on the worst team in baseball, but by then, his fate was sealed.

López has been designated for assignment

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets plan to designate López for assignment following his actions.

The 31-year-old came to the Mets this past offseason on a one-year $2 million contract, hoping to revitalize his career.

Lope had done just that other than having a few bad outings. The Puerto Rico native had pitched 26.1 innings across 28 appearances to a 3.76 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP and 19 strikeouts.

Time will tell if another organization picks him up off waivers, but López’s time in Flushing has come to an unfortunate conclusion.

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