Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran got into a spat with a fan in Boston’s 13-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Sunday.
Duran had to be held back by coaches and teammate Ceddanne Rafaela after he emerged from the dugout to take his position to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. According to NESN’s Will Middlebrooks, the fan yelled something reprehensible to Duran, who has been open about his mental health struggles including revealing a past suicide attempt.
Duran addressed the situation following the game.
“The fan just said something inappropriate,” Duran told reporters, per NESN. “I’m just happy that the security handled it and the umpires were aware of it and they took care of it for me.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora also appreciated the way security at the stadium dealt with the incident.
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Cora said Duran and the Red Sox learned from a situation last season in which Duran was suspended two games after calling a heckler a homophobic slur.
“This is a two-way street. That’s something I said last year,” Cora told reporters, per NESN. “We made a mistake last year and we learned from it. We grew up as an individual and as a group. But there’s limits, too. And I think security, they did a good job. I think the fan, whatever he said or what was going on, security felt like it crossed the line and they kicked him out.”
Duran understands that his candidness about his mental health battle will be used against him by some. But Duran saw the other side come out in this incident as well, of those willing to stand up for the 28-year-old.
“When you open yourself up like that you’re also opening yourself up to the enemies,” Duran said. “I have a good support staff around me: teammates, coaches and fans that were supporting me. That was awesome.”
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According to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, the Guardians released a statement regarding the incident following the game, in which they apologized to Duran for the fan’s actions.
“We are aware of the situation that took place during today’s game between a fan and one of the Red Sox players that violated our fan conduct policy,” the statement read. “We recognize the gravity of the behavior at issue here and take very seriously conduct of this nature. We apologize to the Red Sox organization, the player involved, fans in the area and are addressing the situation. We have identified the fan in question and will work with Major League Baseball regarding next steps. We strive to provide the best experience to visiting players and fans, and that fell short today.”
