BOSTON– The Boston Red Sox suspended Jarren Duran for two games without pay on Monday after he shouted a homophobic slur to a fan behind home plate who questioned him in a loss to the Houston Astros a day before.
The exchange was caught on a live microphone during the broadcast, when Duran — who was 0 for 2 with two strikeouts at that point in the game — was on base in the sixth inning. A fan at Fenway Park can be heard shouting “Tennis racket! Tennis racket! You need a tennis racket!”
Duran turned his head toward the fan and responded, “Shut up,” followed by an expletive and the slur.
Duran apologized to the team Sunday night, saying he “used a truly horrible word” and felt “terrible.”
Standing in the middle of the clubhouse before answering questions on Monday, Duran began by apologizing to fans who he said reached out to him and said, “they were disappointed in me.”
“I am truly sorry for my actions and will work to improve,” the 27-year-old outfielder said.
President and CEO Sam Kennedy said the club contacted Major League Baseball after the game.
“It’s a really difficult, disappointing day,” said Kennedy, speaking to the media outside the clubhouse. “I’m proud of the way the organization approached the situation and I’m proud of Jarren for recognizing his horrible mistake.”
Alongside Kennedy, director of baseball Craig Breslow said the team still had work to do.
“I think it’s damning evidence that while we’ve made progress and done great work, we haven’t done enough,” he said. “I think an incident like this is an important reminder that there is still a lot of progress to be made.”
Duran said the fan “harassed me throughout the game and I said something I shouldn’t have said.”
Duran said he immediately turned around and apologized to home plate umpire Jordan Baker and Houston catcher Yainer Diaz “for my actions. They were right there, they heard me say it. I assume they cut off the microphone because of my inappropriate speech.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “There’s a lot of work to be done and I’m here to help.”
Cora said she spoke with Duran throughout the day.
“He made a big mistake, he’s living with it, right,” Cora said. “As a manager, I have to do my job. As a person, there is more to my side. …It’s what I can do as a person to support him and help him get better.”
Duran has played in every game for the team so far this season, primarily hitting leadoff and is one of the club’s best players, batting .291 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. He was the MVP of the All-Star Game in Texas, the fifth Red Sox player to win the award.
He said there was no intention behind the word and that it was just “the heat of the moment.”
“I think the most important thing is what happens going forward,” Kennedy said. “We have worked hard over the past two and a half decades to ensure that Fenway Park is a place where everyone is welcome.”
Boston said Duran’s salary during the suspension will be donated to PFLAG (Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Duran wins $760,000 and will lose $8,172.
The exchange with fans came after Duran was honored during a pregame ceremony as the recipient of the team’s Heart and Hustle Award, which recognizes one player per team who “demonstrates passion for the game and best embodies its values, spirit and traditions.” ”
“I think the suspension is just disciplinary and we need to hold people accountable,” Kennedy said. “What I would like to see is more education, more understanding, more dialogue around the negative impact of hate speech.”
Because the team suspended him, the Red Sox were allowed to fill his roster spot.
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