Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran was suspended for two games after he hurled an anti-gay slur toward a heckler at Fenway Park in Boston and was heard on a hot mic.
“In consultation with Major League Baseball, the Red Sox on Monday issued an unpaid two-game suspension to outfielder Jarren Duran beginning with tonight’s game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park,” the Red Sox said in a statement.
“Additionally, Duran’s salary from the two-game suspension will be donated to PFLAG (Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), the United States’ largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people and those who love them.”
Reaction to Duran’s suspension poured in on social media.
Duran made the remark as he stepped to the plate in the sixth inning of Sunday’s 10-2 loss against the Houston Astros.
A fan shouted at him that he needed a tennis racket.
The player yelled back, “Shut up,” followed by the slur.
He apologized in a statement after the game.
Duran was an All-Star for the first time this season.
Entering Monday, he led the majors with 36 doubles and 13 triples.
He was hitting .291 with 14 home runs.
Boston started a three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Monday.
The team then goes on a seven-game roadtrip, beginning with the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.