Who would have thought a simple injury update plea would turn into a back-and-forth between NBC analyst Michael Holley and Jarren Duran? The Red Sox are already struggling with a 17-23 record, and Duran’s inconsistent performance has turned things worse. Yet, he took a bold social media step after making harsh comments on Holley.
It all started when NBC Sports Boston host Michael Holley strongly criticized the Boston Red Sox for how the team handled updates about outfielder Roman Anthony’s injury. Holley believed the Red Sox were not completely honest about how serious the young player’s injury really was before eventually placing him on the injured list.
“I understand why all teams do it, but let’s just be honest. All teams lie. They lie about injuries, they just do,” Holley remarked. “Tell me a forthcoming organization in this city when it comes to injuries. They just don’t.”
His comments quickly became a big topic among Red Sox fans, media members, and even players. The video clip of Holley’s criticism later spread online and eventually reached the Red Sox clubhouse. Boston outfielder Jarren Duran saw the clip and publicly reacted to it on his Instagram story.
“They let people like this on NBC Sports,” the story read, followed by a clown emoji and a crying laughing emoji.
Jarren Duran’s reaction quickly brought even more criticism. Many felt he should focus more on improving his own performance instead of arguing online. After receiving the backlash, Duran made an even bigger decision.
Instead of simply deleting his Instagram story about Michael Holley, he deleted his entire Instagram account.
But even after that, we cannot help but admit that Roman Anthony’s injury is becoming a major talking point.
At first, the team described his wrist injury as minor, and then, they placed him on the 10-day injured list. This increases the suspicion even more.
Before that, he was struggling with upper back tightness/soreness, keeping out of three straight games in April. Even last year, he missed the final 25 games of the season because of an oblique strain.
This has now become a pattern, and fans and analysts really want to know the real deal behind it. But when Duran jumped right in between to defend his teammate, things got nasty. Obviously, because he himself is not having much of a great season.
During the 2026 season, Duran struggled badly at the plate. Through 35 games, he hit only .194 with a weak .577 OPS. So, for now, Duran really has to stop getting involved in controversies with fans and media.
Because this isn’t the first time something of this sort has happened.
Back in 2024, during the Boston Red Sox’s 10-2 loss against the Houston Astros, a fan in the crowd kept making fun of Jarren Duran by shouting that he needed a tennis racket to hit the baseball. The constant criticism made Duran furious as he turned toward the fan and shouted back using offensive language that included an anti-gay slur.
After the game, the Red Sox immediately took action against Duran.
The team suspended him for two games without pay during Boston’s next series against the Texas Rangers. It shows why Duran took such a bold step to delete his Instagram account.
Fans will not just bully him for his game but for everything he has done so far. However, that doesn’t mean he is not a good performer.
Are Jarren Duran’s struggles forever?
Jarren Duran played like a star over the last few years. He became an All-Star and even finished in the top 10 of MVP voting in 2024 after an outstanding season. Last year, he had a very strong season and produced around five wins for his team, even though his performance slightly dropped compared to before.
However, that struggle might not last forever, as baseball writer Eno Sarris pointed out an important advanced statistic that gives fans hope.
Per Sarris analysis, Duran ranks among the top 10 hitters in MLB with the biggest difference between his barrel percentage and slugging percentage.
In simple words, Duran is still hitting the ball very hard and making strong contact, but the results are not showing up in his statistics. But his inconsistency isn’t forever, and Sarris explains it clearly.
“Duran has had a career-long issue with pulling the ball in the air and has never done it at an above-average rate,” Sarris noted. “He’ll hit for power because he swings hard and hits the ball hard, but there’s no real reason to think that his Barrel rate presages more power than usual. He’ll likely end up with his 16-20 homers and numbers that look more like last year than anything else.”
That’s a fact.
His 11.1% barrel rate is the best of his career so far. However, there is still a problem with how he hits the ball.
Many of his hard-hit balls go directly on the ground instead of into the air as line drives or fly balls. Another reason behind his fall is that Duran’s sweet-spot percentage drops to a career-low 25%, which means he is not lifting the ball well enough right now.
Even with these struggles, there is plenty of time left in the season for both Duran and the Red Sox to improve. But fans would be much happier if Duran brings change quickly.
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