Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran said his outburst at a fan on Tuesday night came after an ugly comment directed toward him.
The 2024 All-Star was seen on the broadcast of Boston’s 6-0 loss to the Twins flipping off a fan at Minnesota’s Target Field after grounding out in the top of the fifth inning. Duran told reporters after the game that he was directing the bird at a fan who allegedly told him to kill himself.
“Somebody just told me to kill myself,” Duran told reporters, according to the Associated Press. “I’m used to it at this point, you know? I mean, (expletive) happens. I mean, I’m gonna flip somebody off if they say something to me, but it is what it is. I shouldn’t react like that, but that kind of stuff is still kind of triggering.”
According to the AP, manager Alex Cora did not see the incident.
This is not the first time Duran, 29, has confronted an antagonistic fan in his career.
During an April game last year in Cleveland, Duran angrily pointed at a fan — who was soon ejected from the ballgame — and had to be held back after they said “something inappropriate” at the outfielder. Duran did not explicitly say what the fan said but implied it had to do with his attempted suicide in 2022, which he revealed in a Netflix docuseries “The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox,” which came out shortly before the incident.
“The fan just said something inappropriate. I’m just happy that the security handled it and the umpires were aware of it and they took care of it for me,” Duran said after the incident at Progressive Field. “When you open yourself up like that, you also open yourself up to the enemies. But I have a good support staff around me, teammates, coaches. There were fans that were supporting me, so that was awesome.”
Two seasons ago, Duran was suspended for two games after being caught on a hot mic using an anti-gay slur. The Red Sox said his salary for those two games was donated to the Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
Duran apologized after the game and said he would make it a point to learn from his actions.
“During tonight’s game, I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan,” Duran said in a statement released by the team on Sunday. “I feel awful knowing how many people I offended and disappointed. I apologize to the entire Red Sox organization, but more importantly to the entire LGBTQ community. Our young fans are supposed to be able to look up to me as a role model, but tonight I fell far short of that responsibility. I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.