Social media posts regarding Rays shortstop Wander Franco are under investigation by Major League Baseball, Tampa Bay said in a statement Sunday.
"During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco," the Rays said. "We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence."
The club did not detail which social media posts specifically were the target of MLB’s investigation.
The Tampa Bay Times reported messages posted on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, allege that Franco has been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Franco was trending on the platform Sunday afternoon as a result of the posts going viral.
Franco was given a day off by Rays manager Kevin Cash on Sunday; Tampa Bay lost 9–2 to the Guardians in his absence.
“I’m aware of the speculation [around the social media posts], and I’m not going to comment any further on that,” Cash told reporters after the game. “The day off was because [it was] a day off.”
a statement from the Tampa Bay Rays:
— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) August 13, 2023
“During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco. We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence.”
Later Sunday night, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Franco would not travel to San Francisco as the Rays begin a three-game set with the Giants Monday evening.
Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco did not travel on the team plane to San Francisco, where the Rays will start a series with the Giants tomorrow, sources tell ESPN. The Rays earlier said MLB is doing “due diligence” concerning social media posts from earlier today about Franco.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 14, 2023
