What’s ‘Most Important’ To Red Sox’s Jarren Duran Amid Suspension

Jarren Duran knows there’s work to be done.

Duran has been lauded over the course of this Red Sox season for improving on the baseball field in a variety of ways. But the All-Star outfielder now is focused on taking strides off the diamond in wake of a recent event.

Boston suspended the 27-year-old on Monday for two games due to the use of a homophobic slur in Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. The suspension ended a streak for Duran, who played in every Red Sox game this year heading into Monday.

But as the fourth-year pro stressed when he spoke to the media following the suspension announcement, being out of the lineup is not what matters most at this juncture.

“(Not playing) is not the most important thing right now,” Duran told reporters, per The Boston Globe. “Trying to be better and learn from my mistake of what I said is the most important thing right now.”

Duran will serve the final game of his suspension Tuesday evening when the Red Sox and the Texas Rangers meet for the middle game of their series in Boston. NESN’s coverage of the contest, which coincides with Day 1 of the 2024 WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, begins at 6 p.m. ET.