A Boston Red Sox outfielder has been suspended for two games after he was caught hurling a “horrific” anti-gay slur at a fan during the team’s Sunday loss against the Houston Astros.
Jarren Duran, one of the Red Sox’s top hitters, was picked up by live mics near home plate telling a heckler to “shut up you f---ing f----t.” during the game’s sixth inning. The fan had been heard telling Duran, who had suffered two strikeouts by that point in the game, he needed a “tennis racket.”
Duran’s unpaid suspension was announced Monday by the Red Sox and Major League Baseball. The team said that his salary during the suspension will be donated to PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ advocacy and outreach organization.
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The suspension will begin with Monday evening’s home game against the Texas Rangers. It was announced after the 27-year-old issued an unqualified apology.
“During tonight’s game, I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan,” Duran said in a Sunday night statement. “I feel awful knowing how many people I offended and disappointed.”
The outfielder went on to say he wanted younger fans “to be able to look up to me as a role model,” adding that he would “use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.”
Earlier on Sunday, Duran had been granted a ‘Heart and Hustle Award’ during a pregame ceremony. Handed out annually by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, the award is supposed to recognize players who “demonstrate a passion for the game and best embody its values, spirit and traditions.”
The Red Sox went on to lose 10-2, and the team says they were quick to bring Duran up on the comment after close of play.
In a statement after the game, the team echoed his apologetic sentiments, saying that “we strive to be an organization that welcomes all fans to Fenway Park, and we will continue to educate our employees, players, coaches and staff on the importance of inclusivity.”
Duran has proven himself one of the Red Sox’s best players this season, with a batting average of .291, a total of 14 home runs, and 58 runs batted in.
