Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran attempted suicide during the 2022 season, he revealed in the Netflix docuseries “The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox,” according to reporters who viewed the series in advance.
During the series on the 2024 Red Sox, which releases Tuesday, Duran, 28, delves into the tumultuous start to his MLB career before becoming an All-Star last season and how his play, and the negative fan reaction to his performance, affected him mentally.
“I was already hearing it from fans,” Duran says, per MLB.com. “And what they said to me, [it was like], ‘I’ve told myself 10 times worse in the mirror.’ That was a really tough time for me. I didn’t even want to be here anymore.”
When the Netflix director asked if “here” meant the Red Sox or on Earth, Duran said, “probably both. Yeah. Probably both. I got to a point where I was sitting in my room, I had my rifle and I had a bullet and I pulled the trigger and the gun clicked, but nothing happened. So, to this day, I think God just didn’t let me take my own life because I seriously don’t know why it didn’t go off.
“I took it as a sign of, ‘I might have to be here for a reason,’ so that’s when I started to look myself in the mirror after the gun didn’t go off. I was like, ‘Do I want to be here or do I not want to be here?’ That happened for a reason and obviously, you’re here for a reason so let’s be the way you want to be and play (the way) you want to play and live the way you want to live.”
Red Sox president Sam Kennedy described Duran sharing his story as “an act of courage that reaches far beyond baseball” in a statement to multiple outlets.
“By opening up, he’s showing others who may be struggling that they’re not alone and that asking for help isn’t just OK, it’s essential,” Kennedy said.
“Every member of this organization continues to stand with him. He has our deepest admiration, he’s always had our full support and we’re incredibly fortunate to have him as part of our team.”
Once one of the organization’s top prospects, Duran — suspended two games last season for using an anti-gay slur toward a heckling fan — did not perform well during his major league opportunities in 2021 and ’22, hitting .219 with a .622 OPS, five home runs and 27 RBIs in 335 plate appearances across the two seasons.
He then broke through in 2023, hitting .295 with an .828 OPS, eight homers, 34 doubles, 40 RBIs and 24 steals in 362 plate appearances across 102 games.
Duran established himself as an All-Star last season by hitting .285 with an .834 OPS, 21 homers, 48 doubles, 14 triples, 75 RBIs, 34 steals and 111 runs in 160 games.
His 8.7 WAR, per Baseball Reference, was fifth-best in the majors.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
