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Per the report, authorities believe Franco had
a relationship with a minor in Puerto Plata, a coastal city 130
miles north of Santo Domingo.
The report stated members of the Santo Domingo Children's and
Adolescents Prosecutor's Office first arrived at Franco's
"maternal home" in the city of Bani, then went to Franco's home
in Villa Real, about 55 miles south.
Franco, 22, was not at either residence.
The report did not state whether Franco was considered a
fugitive or if authorities would continue searching for him but
did state it would be typical for authorities to leave a contact
number with Franco's wife so he could contact them.
Dominican-based MLB reporter Hector Gomez posted on X (formerly
Twitter) on Tuesday: "New evidence has been found in the case of
Wander Franco that further implicates him in the accusations
that have been made against him of alleged relationships with
minors."
The Rays placed Franco on the restricted list Aug. 14 and then
on paid administrative leave on Aug. 22 as MLB launched an
investigation into social media posts indicating Franco was
involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
Franco since was moved to Tampa Bay's active roster, but only
because administrative leave is unavailable during the
offseason. He could be placed back on administrative leave when
spring training begins.
Franco, who was first called up in 2021 as one of the most hyped
prospects in recent years, played a career-high 112 games and
was an All-Star for the first time in 2023. He set career highs
in virtually all statistical categories, including home runs
(17), RBIs (58), stolen bases (30) and runs (65) while batting
.281 with a .344 on-base percentage and a .475 slugging
percentage.
--Field Level Media
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