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Moving a player to the restricted list,
typically used when a player is away from the team for
non-baseball reasons or opts to retire, equates to removing them
from the active roster. ESPN reported on Monday the Rays are not
obligated to pay Franco while he's on the restricted list.
The team confirmed Major League Baseball began investigating
social media posts suggesting Franco was having an inappropriate
relationship with an underage girl.
Franco, 22, did not play in Tampa Bay's 9-2 home loss to the
Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon.
"During today's game, we were made aware of the social media
posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco," the team
said in a statement two hours after the game. "We take the
situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League
Baseball as it conducts its due diligence."
Osleivis Basabe started at shortstop on Sunday. Basabe went
1-for-3 with a double in his Major League debut.
The Spanish-language social media posts were made Saturday night
and went viral Sunday. Franco was given Sunday's game off
despite a scheduled Wander Franco hat giveaway for fans aged 14
and under.
Franco was in the dugout when the game began but reportedly left
the stadium during the fifth inning.
Rays manager Kevin Cash later told reporters that Franco was
given a "day off" but acknowledged that he knew about the
discussion brewing on social media.
"I am aware of this speculation," Cash said. "I'm not going to
comment any further on that. But the day off was because (of)
the day off."
The Rays signed Franco to a $182 million, 11-year contract in
November 2021, with a team option for 2033 that could make the
deal worth up to $223 million.
Franco made his first All-Star Game this year and has had a
strong season on the field. He is batting .281 with 17 home
runs, 58 RBIs and 30 stolen bases over 112 games for a team in
line to make the postseason.
The Rays also chose to bench Franco for two games in July in
response to his behavior around his teammates and how he would
deal with frustration.
--Field Level Media
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