"First and foremost, I apologize to my teammates, coaches, fans, and front office," Lopez said in a statement. "I feel that I let them down yesterday, both on and off the field."

As we previously reported, Lopez was ejected from Wednesday's game after arguing over a check swing call ... and proceeded to throw his glove into the stands.

In the locker room, he made comments that many believed were criticizing the team -- but he is adamant that is NOT the message he was trying to send.

"I also want to clarify my post-game remarks, because I had no intention of disparaging the New York Mets organization," Lopez added. "During that interview, I spoke candidly about my frustrations with my personal performance and how I felt it made me 'the worst teammate in the entire league.'"

Lopez initially seemed to double down when asked whether he was referring to the Mets as the "worst" in the league ... but he insists that wasn't the case.

"Unfortunately, my efforts to address the media in English created some confusion and generated headlines that do not reflect what I was trying to express."

The Mets ultimately elected to DFA Lopez over his on-field outburst -- meaning he's off their 40-man roster -- but he's taking the high road on his way out.