Major League Baseball started an investigation into Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco and the team placed him on the restricted list after social media posts called into question the alleged nature of a relationship between Franco and a younger woman, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.
Franco, 22 years-of-age, did not make the trip with the Rays to San Francisco, where they begin a three-game series Monday against the Giants, sources told ESPN. Teams can utilize the restricted list, which takes a player off the team’s roster, for a plethora of situations, including potential legal issues.
While teams are not required to pay players who are on the restricted list, the Rays are continuing to pay Franco’s $2 million salary, sources told ESPN.
In a statement, the team said: “The Tampa Bay Rays and Wander Franco have mutually agreed that he will go on the Restricted List and take leave from the Club for the duration of the current road trip.”
The league’s inquiry, conducted by its department of investigations, is looking into several social media posts concerning Franco’s alleged relationship with the girl in his homeland, the Dominican Republic, where he grew up.
Franco did not play Sunday, which Rays manager Kevin Cash said was a scheduled day off, and after starting the game in the dugout, he left in the fifth inning. He did not speak with reporters after the game.
In November 2021, the Rays and Franco agreed on an 11-year, $182 million contract extension, a mere 70 games into his big-league career. Franco has been one of the most productive players in MLB this season, batting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI and 30 stolen bases, and was selected to his first All-Star team.
