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Wander Franco was placed on indefinite administrative leave by Major League Baseball on Tuesday while Dominican Republic authorities investigate. Tampa Bay Rays All-Star shortstop for an alleged relationship with a minor.
The 22-year-old will be paid and receive service time while on administrative leave under an agreement with the players union that did not set a timetable for a decision on whether MLB will discipline him.
“Just let the process play out,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Tuesday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies. “Probably not worth commenting on further.”
Franco was placed on the restricted list for a week on August 14, while MLB launched an investigation following social media posts suggesting he was in a relationship with a minor. The AP has not been able to verify the reported posts.
MLB said the change to administrative leave was not disciplinary under the sport’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. That leave is often set with a seven-day limit under policy, but there’s no such limit on Franco’s license and he may not return this season.
Ángel Darío Tejeda Fabal, a prosecutor for the Dominican province of Peravia, said last week that an investigation into Franco had been opened under a division specializing in minors and gender violence.
MLB is likely to wait until the investigation is complete before deciding whether to take disciplinary action, a person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that was not announced.
Franco was left out of the Rays’ lineup on August 13 on what manager Kevin Cash said was an off day, then missed a six-game trip to the West Coast while on the restricted list. The Rays issued a statement Tuesday supporting the administrative leave decision.
2023-08-23 02:20:04
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