Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was detained on Monday in the Dominican Republic after he was interviewed by prosecutors about complaints that he had inappropriate relationships with young girls, a person briefed on the proceeding told The Athletic.
Franco was being held ahead of a court appearance this week, according to reports by The Associated Press and ESPN, which each cited an unnamed official in the prosecutor’s office in Puerto Plata, a city on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.
No criminal charges against Franco have been announced.
He is expected to appear in front of a judge on Wednesday to be arraigned, according to baseball journalist Héctor Gómez, who also posted a photograph of Franco with his lawyers.
MLB and the Rays declined to comment Monday.
Franco, 22, is facing at least two complaints that accuse him of having inappropriate relationships with minors, accusations that emerged over the summer. Franco is also under investigation for allegedly having a relationship with a third minor, according to an ESPN report, but the third girl has not spoken to authorities in the Dominican Republic, where Franco is from.
Franco denied the initial allegation in an Instagram video.
Franco last played on Aug. 12 and was given what the team deemed a regular off day the following day, when the first allegation became public on social media. Franco agreed to go on the restricted list, which gave MLB time to launch an investigation. Franco was taken off the restricted list and placed on administrative leave on Aug. 22 until further notice.
Franco is on an 11-year, $182 million guaranteed contract with Tampa Bay — the largest in the organization’s history.
(Photo: Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty Images)
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