Jarren Duran reveals in Red Sox doc he attempted suicide in 2022

Red Sox right fielder Jarren Duran opened up on a serious mental health problem he endured in 2022, as part of the new Netflix series “The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox."

As reported Monday morning by Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, after a pre-release embargo had been lifted on news, that Duran admits in the documentary that he tried to take his own life by shooting himself with a rifle, but he survived because the gun didn't discharge.

Duran struggled during the 2022 season, his second in the major leagues, as he posted a .645 OPS at the plate. He admitted that his problems on the field and negative fan reactions contributed to his mental health struggles, and ultimately drove him to attempt suicide.

“I would think every day, ‘I can’t [expletive] do this,’” he said. “I couldn’t deal with telling myself how much I sucked every [expletive] day. Like I was already hearing it from fans and, like, what they say to me. It’s like, I haven’t told myself 10 times worse than that in the mirror. That was, like, a really tough time for me.

“It was a pretty low time for me. Like, I didn’t even wanna be here anymore.”

According to Abraham, Duran is then asked what he meant by that, and revealed: “I got to the 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."

The Red Sox stayed the course with Duran, and the outfielder enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, finishing fifth in the major leagues with an 8.7 WAR and leading the AL in doubles (48) and triples (13), earning his first All-Star nod and MVP votes in the process. The year was not without controversy, as Duran came under fire and later apologized after directing a homophobic slur at a fan.

For Duran to open up about his mental health struggles and suicide attempt was to reveal that he's human. Afflictions like depression and anxiety do not discriminate, and professional athletes have flaws just like anyone else. We should be well beyond the point as a society to remove any possible stigma associated with mental health issues, and the need for outside help and support to overcome them.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.