The Boston Red Sox are just two days from opening up their 2023 season, and the team made yet another roster decision Tuesday before embarking on a clean slate.
The Red Sox optioned outfielder Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester, which the team confirmed following their spring training finale against the Atlanta Braves.
Duran, who went 1-for-3 in the 7-5 loss, had his work cut out from the start of preseason action.
The Red Sox already had their established corner outfielders in Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo. They also added Adam Duvall, who’s expected to be an everyday player in the lineup. Plus, Duran underwent a tug-of-war battle in the spring while going for a backup spot with outfielder Raimel Tapia, who Boston added in January and earned a spot on the 26-man roster, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
During spring training, Duran showed some upside at the plate. The 26-year-old hit .333/.474/.733 with one home run and three doubles while drawing four walks to three strikeouts.
But despite the demotion, Durran previously made his positive outlook on the Opening Day roster public, not worrying about anything beyond his control.
“The only thing I can really do is go out and play, because at the end of the day, they’re going to make a decision,” Durran said after returning from the 2023 World Baseball Classic, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. “I don’t have a say in it. All I can do is play.”
Duran played 58 games at the big league level, following a 33-game rookie run in 2021, but also spent the majority of the year in Worcester. He batted .283 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs while swiping 18 bases in 68 games played.
But when called upon to join Boston, Duran struggled and only slashed .221/.283/.363 with three home runs over the course of 204 at-bats.
With plenty of time ahead, Duran can still rejoin the Red Sox at some point in 2023.
