May 25, 2022; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (5) at bat during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Miami Marlins at Tampa Bay Rays
(Dominican Republic) — Wander Franco’s career is in jeopardy.
The Tampa Bay Rays star is unlikely to ever play in Major League Baseball again ‘judging by the results of the investigations’ into his alleged relationship with a minor, insider Hector Gomez reports.
MLB has launched a probe and an investigation in Franco’s native Dominican Republic which is being handled by a division specializing in minor and gender violence in the province of Peravia.
“A person very close to the investigations into the case of Wander Franco: ‘It will be very unlikely that Wander Franco will play in MLB again, judging by the results of the investigations that are currently being carried out, which directly commit him to the accusations against him,’” Gómez tweeted.
When one user asked for Gómez to identify his source, Gómez didn’t, but did clarify that it was the same source that told him about Franco’s contract extension with Tampa.
Franco denied the allegations during an Instagram Live post on Sunday.
“They say that I’m in public with a little girl, that I’m running around with a minor. People don’t know what to do with their time. They don’t know what they’re talking about. That’s why I prefer to be on my side & not get involved with anybody.”
On Monday, the Rays placed the 22-year-old on the restricted list, sidelining him for six games in the midst of a playoff race.
Franco is considered one of the best young talents in baseball. The former No. 1 prospect is batting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI and 30 steals.
If the shortstop has indeed played his last MLB game, it will mark a shocking end to one of the most promising careers in a long time.
