The Chicago Cubs have signed Jorge López to a minor league contract, giving the veteran reliever another chance after his time with the New York Mets ended abruptly. The transaction was recorded on the team’s transactions page. López, 31, tossed his glove into the seats after being ejected in the eighth inning of the New York Mets’ 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29 at Citi Field. López then uttered a profanity during a strange and confused postgame interview in the Mets’ clubhouse. López was assigned the following day, and he apologized to his teammates, coaches, supporters, and the front office.
Prior to Wednesday night’s game against Tampa Bay, Chicago has lost 13 of 18 games. It started the day with a 4.47 bullpen ERA and 14 blown save opportunities. In Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss to the Rays, Héctor Neris gave up four runs, a season high, including Brandon Lowe’s game-winning home run. López is 1-2 with a 3.76 ERA and two saves in 28 major league appearances this season. In nine years in the majors, he has pitched for six different clubs and has a 23-42 record, a 5.42 ERA, and 29 saved games. López joined the AL All-Star team in 2022 after being 4-7 with 23 saves and a 2.54 ERA in 67 appearances for Baltimore and Minnesota.