Red Sox
“Last night, I called him into the office and said, ‘Hey, you got an off day tomorrow.’ He said, ‘[Expletive] that!’”
Entering the Red Sox’ game against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, Jarren Duran had played in all 76 of Boston’s contests this season.
Manager Alex Cora figured he would jokingly attempt to give the outfielder his first day off of the year. Considering how hard Duran has played in 2024 and his improved statistics compared to years past, it almost makes sense that Cora would want to let his leadoff hitter rest as the midway point of MLB’s season approaches. But he’s too hot to be sat right now.
Seemingly falling for the prank, Duran refused to accept what he deemed to be an offer, not an order.
“Last night, I called him into the office and said, ‘Hey, you got an off day tomorrow,’” Cora recounted to reporters on Saturday. “He said, ‘[Expletive] that!’”
Duran leads all of MLB in triples this year (10), and it doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down any time soon.
Cora praised the player’s dedication to taking his game to the next level in 2024 after telling the humorous story.
“He works so hard. He now understands what he needs to do to play every day, to keep his energy the way he should,” Cora said. “There’s a lot of good stuff going on with him. The preparation is second to none. It’s pregame and postgame. He goes 4-for-4, they sit down, and they break down the at-bats. … Same thing when he goes 0-for-4. … He’s driving the ball now, hitting the ball all over the place. The at-bats are really good.”
Through Duran’s 77 games, he’s batting .280 with a .824 OPS. The 27-year-old has collected 88 total hits and has walked 30 times. His previous season-high for walks was 24 last year through 102 games, which shows he’s increased his patience at the plate. It’s paying off for himself personally, and for the whole team.
Cora has high hopes that Duran will make this year’s All-Star team.
“We’ll see in a month — that’s gonna be fun, I believe,” Cora said. “That Sunday when they announce the All-Stars is a special one and if this happens, it’s gonna be great.
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