Mets to DFA López after glove-tossing incident, harsh comments

NEW YORK — Shortly after his team’s 10-3 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor made it known that he wanted to call a players-only meeting. Lindor and other veterans made sure players did not scatter to the food room, to the trainer’s table, to their cars. Instead, they remained in the central clubhouse room and talked.

For close to 40 minutes, Mets players discussed the issues that have led them to this spot: 11 games under .500 before the end of May, finding seemingly every way possible to lose a baseball game. According to another veteran, Brandon Nimmo, nearly the entire roster spoke.

“It just felt like a boiling-over point,” Nimmo said. “It felt like the right time to do it. You try and give space.”

For the Mets, words begot actions. Wednesday’s loss was punctuated by reliever Jorge López who, after being ejected by third-base umpire Ramon DeJesus, threw his glove high in the air and into the stands. Manager Carlos Mendoza called the action “unacceptable” and, along with president of baseball operations David Stearns, spoke to López about it after the game. A source with knowledge of that meeting said López was untruthful in his subsequent comment that he never spoke to Mendoza.

The same source added that team officials decided Wednesday night to designate López for assignment.

Asked about the glove-throwing incident after the game, López said he did not regret throwing it, adding, “I don’t give a [expletive] to anything.” The native Spanish speaker then uttered a comment in English that those present interpreted as either López calling the Mets “the worst team in the whole [expletive] MLB,” or calling himself “the worst teammate in the whole [expletive] MLB.” Asked later in the interview if he indeed meant to call the Mets “the worst team” in baseball, López replied: “Yeah, probably, it looked like.”