Red Sox’ Jarren Duran opens up about defiant approach toward mental-health struggles

"I went through some tough times when I didn’t think I would be here. But I’m still here, still fighting."

Jarren Duran has been candid about his mental-health battles over the last few years. Barry Chin / The Boston Globe

March 17, 2024

3 minutes to read

Jarren Duran put together a breakout 2023 season with the Red Sox, with the speedy outfielder establishing himself as one of the most dynamic players in baseball.

But those returns out on the diamond weren’t achieved without some struggles along the way.

During a disappointing 2022 campaign, Duran was candid when discussing the ups and downs that athletes trudge through and the mental health challenges that arise during a long season.

Even amid the individual success he achieved during the 2023 season, Duran made several posts on his Instagram story last August that indicated he was again confronting those struggles regarding his mental health.

Speaking to WEEI Rob Bradford down in Fort Myers this weekend, Duran opened up about his ongoing battle over his mental health — as well as his defiant approach to the struggles that will inevitably present themselves in 2024.

On his wrist tape, Duran displays a stern message, “F— ‘em”, that holds special meaning to the 27-year-old center fielder.

“I did it last year, but nobody really saw it,” Duran told WEEI.com of the message attached to his wrist tape. “It’s just a personal thing to remind me of the stuff I have gone through mentally. Just saying “F*ck ‘em” they can’t win, I’m still here. So I write that on my right wrist. And then I write “I’m still alive,” because I went through some tough times when I didn’t think I would be here. But I’m still here, still fighting. That’s kind of a daily reminder to myself that if all things are going bad and I’m having a bad game, it will never be as bad as when I was going through that stuff.

“I did it as soon as we got it out of spring. … I have no problem with it. I know a lot of people have reached out to me through Instagram saying how it is an inspiration to them. If they are reading this or hearing this, they are more than welcome to reach out to me because I know what they are going through and I support them.”

If the 2024 Red Sox plan on surprising the rest of baseball this summer, another strong season for Duran will be key. In 101 games last year, Duran batted .295 with eight home runs and 40 RBI while legging out 34 doubles, two triples, and 24 stolen bases.

Duran will need to avoid the injury bug after a toe injury sidelined him for the final month-plus of the 2023 season. And even with his breakthrough performance last year, Duran will need to prove that those results were not just a flash in the pan.

Even though Duran expects more struggles along the way, he stressed that surrounding oneself with a sturdy support system can go a long way throughout a grueling season.

“There are always the negative people out there,” Duran noted. “But the positives I have gotten from fans and teammates that I have talked to about it is greater than that. You just have to focus on the positives and take it one day at a time. I think I have learned myself and what has helped me, just going through it by myself. I write stuff down now. I write down a daily note [of] what I’m looking forward to.

“And then when my day is over I write down what I’m looking forward to the next day. That’s when it used to hit me was after when everything was done and I’m just alone, especially when you have a bad game. It was like, alright, now I’m alone and I had a bad game. Now I write down, ‘I can’t wait to go into the cage and work on this.’ It changes my mindset where I can’t wait until tomorrow so you’re not worrying about these other things.”