Jarren Duran will serve a two-game suspension from the Boston Red Sox after using a homophobic slur toward a fan during Sunday's game against the Houston Astros.
In the aftermath, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow challenged the outfielder to take a step forward and learn from the experience.
"It is striking evidence that while we may have made strides and done great work, we haven't done nearly enough," Breslow told reporters at Fenway Park. "This is an important reminder that there's still a ton of progress that needs to be made. At the same time, we can acknowledge that Jarren has shown himself to be immediately accountable and is striving to do better."
Breslow also called for collective improvement from the situation and emphasized the learning opportunity for Duran and the Red Sox.
"It is complicated, it's disappointing and frustrating. I think at the same time, we see that Jarren as a leader, that he may be, is also flawed," Breslow added. "We all are. People make mistakes. To Sam's (Kennedy) point, what matters is what happens now and the consequential steps that Jarren takes toward repairing his relationship not just with teammates and the organization, but with the LGBT community and others who have also been impacted by this."
