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Aug. 15 (UPI) — Wander Franco, the talented shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays, is currently on leave from the team due to ongoing investigations by MLB and Dominican Republic authorities. These investigations are related to social media posts concerning Franco, which surfaced recently and alleged his involvement in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
The media office for the attorney general of the Dominican Republic has confirmed the existence of this investigation, but has not provided any specific details at this time.
Although Franco, a native of Bani, D.R., has denied these allegations in a now-deleted Instagram Live video he posted on Sunday, the authorities are still conducting their investigation.
The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Monday that MLB will also be investigating the young infielder, resulting in Franco being placed on the restricted list. For the duration of the team’s current road trip, which began on Monday and concludes on Sunday, Franco will be on leave.
As a result of this investigation, Franco did not participate in the Rays’ 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Rays have expressed their support for MLB’s efforts to understand the situation, stating that they will not be providing any further comments at this time to respect the privacy of all parties involved.
While a player is on MLB’s restricted list, they are ineligible to participate in any big-league or minor-league games.
The Tampa Bay Rays will be facing off against the San Francisco Giants at 9:45 p.m. EDT on Tuesday in San Francisco.
