Jorge Lopez is back in the major leagues after his acrimonious departure from the New York Mets, and he clearly has some regrets about how his tenure ended there.
The Chicago Cubs called up the veteran reliever on Friday, the first time he has been on an MLB roster since he lost his cool and made some regrettable postgame comments a month ago. While those comments were ultimately misinterpreted, Lopez still had plenty of regrets about how he handled the situation.
Jorge Lopez, on his ending with the Mets: “It’s something I’m never going to do again, in my life…Its emotions…I’ve been working on my mental health for a long time. That’s my priority, to not show that anymore and give the best energy and best body language I can to the game.”
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 28, 2024
“It’s something I’m never going to do again, in my life,” Lopez told reporters. “I’s emotions … I’ve been working on my mental health for a long time. That’s my priority, to not show that anymore and give the best energy and best body language I can to the game.”
The Mets reportedly moved on from Lopez more over his on-field antics and lack of contrition as opposed to his postgame comments. This tracks with that. The former All-Star seems very aware that he cannot lose his cool in situations like the one he faced in New York, which saw him get ejected and throw his glove into the stands after a bad outing.
Aside from a remarkable 2022 stint with the Baltimore Orioles that earned him an All-Star nod, Lopez has been an average reliever for most of his career. The Cubs are hoping they can help him recapture that form without any more drama.
