Duran Makes Obscene Gesture to Fan After Suicide Taunt

In Minneapolis, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran made an obscene gesture toward a fan after grounding out in the fifth inning of his team's 6-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Tuesday night.

The incident occurred during a leadoff at-bat for Duran, who rolled over a 2-2 pitch from Twins pitcher Mick Abel for a groundout. As he jogged back to the dugout with Boston trailing 5-0, video footage captured Duran extending his middle finger toward a spectator in the stands. Duran, a 2024 All-Star, later explained that the gesture stemmed from a personal taunt from the fan.

"Somebody just told me to kill myself," Duran said after the game. He acknowledged his reaction was inappropriate but noted its emotional impact. "I'm used to it at this point, you know? I mean, expletive happens. I'm gonna 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."

Duran has been open about his mental health challenges, including bouts of severe depression and a suicide attempt in 2022, which he detailed in last year's Netflix docuseries "The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox." He reflected...