‘I brought it upon myself’: Red Sox suspend Jarren Duran for 2 games after use of homophobic slur

BOSTON — “Before we get started, I just wanted to kind of say that I’ve had some fans reach out to me and tell me that they’re disappointed in me, and I just wanted to let them know that I’m sorry for my actions and that I’m gonna work on being better for them.”

That was how Jarren Duran greeted the media in the clubhouse on Monday afternoon, moments after the Red Sox announced that, effectively immediately, he was suspended without pay for two games.

Less than 24 hours before, the outfielder had responded to a heckling fan with an expletive and homophobic slur during their Sunday afternoon game. Duran said he knew instantly he was in the wrong.

“Yeah, I actually apologized to the umpire and the catcher for my actions because they were right there, they heard me say it,” Duran said. “I’m assuming they cut the mic because of my inappropriate words so it wasn’t picked up, but I know that I was apologizing to them for the word I had said.”

The fan had been “heckling me the entire game,” Duran said when asked to provide context for his outburst. “I just let the moment get the best of me.”

He said he wasn’t trying to be hateful or homophobic.

“There was no intent behind the word that was used,” he said. “It was just the heat of the moment and just happened to be said, you know, it’s just, it’s on me for that word coming out.”

Because NESN’s cameras and microphones caught the exchange, the Red Sox became aware of the incident almost immediately. They spoke with Duran, and had what Red Sox CEO and president Sam Kennedy described as a “very heavy discussion” with league officials. As the clip began to go viral on social media on Sunday evening, the club released a pair of statements, one from Duran and one of their own. They arranged for media availabilities with Duran, Kennedy, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, and manager Alex Cora before Monday night’s game.

“I think Jarren, from conversations last night and today, I think understands and recognizes the severity of what he said,” Kennedy said during his and Breslow’s joint availability.

MLB often metes out the punishment in such cases, but the Red Sox felt it needed to come from them.

“We as an organization felt like this behavior, this incident warranted a strong response,” Breslow said. He also acknowledged that because it was a team punishment, rather than a league decision, the Red Sox won’t have to carry a 25-man roster.

In addition to MLB’s mandatory training, Red Sox players and employees at all levels of the organization undergo their own additional diversity, equality and inclusion training every year.

“I think it is striking evidence that while we may have made strides and done great work, we haven’t done nearly enough. I think an incident like this is an important reminder that there’s still a ton of progress that needs to be made,” Breslow said.