Red Sox quickly hand out punishment to Jarren Duran for homophobic slur: Is it enough?

Sunday was supposed to be a good day for Jarren Duran, who was honored as the Boston Red Sox’s Heart & Hustle Award winner before their game.

Instead, Duran was in the news on Sunday for all the wrong reasons. Not only did he go 0-for-3 in a 10-2 loss to the Houston Astros, but he was also caught using an anti-gay slur during his at-bat in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game.

A fan was yelling at Duran “Tennis racket, tennis racket, you need a tennis racket” in the middle of his at-bat, and evidently that was enough to make him lose his patience.

Duran issued a statement through the Red Sox after Sunday’s game apologizing for using the slur, but it seemed like something more was coming. Sure enough, Duran was suspended for two games, beginning with Monday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers.

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When deciding whether this suspension is long enough, it makes sense to look at past precedent. Then-Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar was suspended for two games in 2017 for using an anti-gay slur on the field. Based on precedent alone, suspending Duran for two games for this makes some sense.

In the grand scheme of things, two games should be a reasonable punishment for Duran to reflect and learn from his mistake. Two games may not seem enough for many, but it is certainly better for Duran to apologize and get away with what he did without any kind of punishment.

Duran is in the midst of a breakout season in which he has posted an .853 OPS in 116 games and even won the All-Star Game MVP award, but this incident has put a damper on that season in the blink of an eye.

Duran’s suspension will not be paid and the money he lost due to the suspension will be donated to PFLAG (Parents and Friends Federation of Lesbians and Gays). Duran has to miss the games and the money he loses as a result of what he did will go to the right place.

It is fair to say that the suspension is not long enough, but it is better than nothing and is nothing less than a precedent for the past. All we can really hope for is that the right lessons are learned.