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Wander Franco at the 2023 MLB All-Star Game. (Photo: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
A special prosecutor in the Dominican Republic is investigating a second complaint that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco engaged in a relationship with a minor.
ESPN reports that after the first complaint on July 17, another girl alleged she had a relationship with the MLB player to the specialized prosecutor’s office for boys, girls, and adolescents. Authorities are also investigating a third girl who alleged a relationship with Franco, although she has yet to speak with police or the prosecutor’s office.
Prosecutors from the specialized office hope to speak with Franco soon. The 22-year-old had a solid season for the Rays, batting .281 with a career-high 17 home runs and 58 runs batted in. However, Major League Baseball (MLB) placed Franco on administrative leave on Aug. 22, pending a league investigation into the allegations.
Franco isn’t expected to play again this season as MLB typically waits until a criminal investigation has concluded before disciplining players under a joint policy with the MLB Players Association. The prosecutor’s investigation into Franco is expected to last through the end of the season.
The Rays are currently in the first wild card spot in the American League and second in the A.L. East, three games behind the Baltimore Orioles. Tampa Bay has 24 games left on its schedule in the regular season,n and infielders Osleivis Basabe and Taylor Walls have filled in at shortstop in Franco’s absence.
Franco’s last game with the Rays came on Aug. 12, one day before numerous social media posts alleged Franco had an inappropriate relationship with a minor. The MLB began investigating Franco that night and placed him on the restricted list from Aug. 13 to 21.
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Source: Black Enterprise
