Jarren Duran is healthy and ready to impact the Red Sox lineup in 2024
Following his season ending toe surgery, Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran told reporters that “he’s never satisfied.”
The 27-year-old is all but a lock to make the 2024 Opening Day roster, but Duran doesn’t see it that way.
“Don’t say that,” said Duran to reporters in September, “because you never know if you have a spot or not. You can’t go into the spring thinking you have a spot. That’s when you get satisfied. You’ve got to go in like, ‘I’ve got to earn my spot’ every time. That’s just my mentality.”
Fast-forward to Winter Weekend and Duran is hungry to get back on the field and produce for the Red Sox.
“Offseason (has been) great, I’m healthy,” Duran told reporters on Saturday at the MassMutual Center. “I’ve been sprinting, lifting, doing sleds. I feel great.”
Duran is healthy and ready to impact the Red Sox roster from the leadoff spot once again.
“I’m excited to get some more hustle doubles,” Duran added. “(Kyle Hudson) will be at third, so I want to have him screaming at me at first base to run, run, run. I’m excited. I like what we’re doing. I like the guys we got. I’m super excited to see what we can do.”
Duran enjoyed a strong 2023 campaign where he hit .295 with eight homers, 34 doubles and an .828 OPS in 102 games before suffering a season-ending toe injury versus the Yankees on Aug. 20.
The Red Sox consider Duran to be an important piece as they head into 2024.
“He’s important for us,” Alex Cora said to reporters, including MassLive’s Chris Cotillo in September. “There’s a reason he was still in the organization when the season started. There’s a reason we were patient. There’s a reason he got called up right away when (Adam Duvall) went down.
“He’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish in the future, too.”
Boston will have a full outfield heading into 2024, Duran, Masataka Yoshida, newly acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill and Rob Refsnyder are all under contract. Outfielder prospects Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela will both be strong candidates to make the roster.
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