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Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran quietly established himself as one of the best outfielders in baseball last year. The former seventh-round pick made his first MLB All-Star Game appearance and finished eighth in American League MVP voting. But things have not always been easy for Duran. He struggled mightily both on and off the field to begin his career, so much so Duran attempted suicide in 2022.
In a brave new story which he shared for the upcoming Netflix series “The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox,” Duran, 28, speaks about reaching a low point and how doing so nearly claimed his life.
Jarren Duran Tells Harrowing Story Of Attempted Suicide In New Netflix Series
In August of 2022, Duran was involved with an altercation with opposing fans that required him to be restrained by teammates.
“I was already hearing it from fans,” Duran said in the docuseries per a recent ESPN report. “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.”
“… 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.”
Duran shares that he’s since sought help from the Red Sox and began keeping a daily journal.
“Jarren’s decision to share his story is an act of courage that reaches far beyond baseball,” Red Sox execitive Sam Kennedy said in a statement.
His story is just the latest in a recent trend of athletes becoming more open about their mental health. Both NBA star Kevin Love and NFL tight end Hayden Hurst made waves by sharing their stories. Both have since discussed how doing so caused fellow athletes and fans to be more open about their own struggles.
Hopefully Duran’s story can similarly be a source of positivity both for himself and for others who may be more comfortable confronting their own struggles.