“I’m going to flip somebody off if they say something to me, but it is what it is.”
Jarren Duran flipped a middle finger at a fan on Tuesday at Target Field. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
April 15, 2026 | 7:28 AM
2 minutes to read
During the Red Sox’ 6-0 loss to the Twins on Tuesday night, cameras captured Boston outfielder Jarren Duran flipping a middle finger to a fan in the seats at Target Field after grounding out in the fifth inning.
Speaking after the loss, Duran said he made the gesture toward the fan because of heckles about his mental health battles during his big-league career.
“Somebody just told me kill myself,” Duran said postgame, per The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey. “I’m used to it at this point. I mean, [expletive] happens. I’m going to flip somebody off if they say something to me, but it is what it is. I shouldn’t react like that. But that kind of stuff is still kind of triggering. It happens.”
Duran has been candid about mental health struggles. As part of the Netflix documentary, “The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox”, Duran revealed that he attempted to take his own life amid a turbulent 2022 season.
Duran’s comments during that documentary — released last April — have led to a few disputes with fans at opposing ballparks.
“Honestly, it’s my fault for talking about my mental health, because I kind of brought in the haters,” Duran told Healey on Tuesday. “So it’s just something I got to get used to.”
During a game against the Cleveland Guardians on April 27, 2025, a fan was ejected from Progressive Field after taunting Duran over his suicide attempt.
Duran tried to confront the fan but was held back by several Red Sox coaches and teammate Ceddanne Rafaela before the heckler was removed from the game.
Duran said that he didn’t tell anyone on the Red Sox about this heckling during Tuesday’s loss in Minneapolis.
“I didn’t really tell anybody , so that’s on me, just trying to hold it in, not really bringing it up to the team,” Duran said. “I mean, we’re trying to win a game. I shouldn’t even bring that up to anybody. It’s not really something I want to be like, ‘Bro, you should have heard what this guy said to me.’
“That’s not the most important thing. The most important thing is win the game. And, yeah, it just happens.”
Duran has had several incidents with fans, beyond just comments about his own mental health.
During the 2024 season, Duran was suspended two games when he directed a homophobic slur at a heckling fan at Fenway Park after the fan shouted that Duran needed a tennis racket to hit.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.