Rays shortstop Wander Franco is facing another investigation in the Dominican Republic as a special prosecutor is looking into a second formal complaint regarding Franco’s alleged relationships with a minor, ESPN’s Juan Recio and Jeff Passan reports.
Franco is now facing three separate allegations over the matter.
The first complaint was filed on July 17, and the second allegation was not officially brought to authorities. Since then, a third girl has spoken with the specialized prosecutor’s office for boys, girls and adolescents, and said she had a relationship with Franco as a minor, according to Recio and Passan. In the Dominican Republic, engaging in a sexual relationship with anyone under the age of 18 is a criminal offense.
According to the report, prosecutors are hoping they will speak with Franco “in the coming weeks.” Additionally, Recio and Passan report that the investigation is expected to last beyond the end of the 2023 MLB season.
Franco last played in a major league game on August 12, and has since been sidelined after the allegations first surfaced on social media. The Rays first put Franco on the restricted list before MLB put him on administrative leave as the league opened an investigation into the situation.
