Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, suspended by Major League Baseball and facing ongoing legal challenges, has been detained by authorities in the Dominican Republic and admitted to a mental health facility.
The 24-year-old was taken into custody at the request of his family, according to police officials, and placed in a private clinic in his hometown of Baní. Authorities stressed that his admission is unrelated to legal proceedings.
Franco‘s detention comes less than three months after he was convicted of sexually abusing a minor. In June, a Dominican court handed him a two-year suspended sentence, permitting him to remain in the country rather than serve prison time.
The case centered on allegations that Franco engaged in a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and provided financial compensation to her family.
The conviction placed further strain on a career already interrupted by controversy. In August 2023, Dominican prosecutors first announced they were investigating him.
He was later arrested in 2024 on accusations of carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 during a dispute, a case that is still before the courts.
Franco‘s restricted status with MLB has remained in effect since that year, cutting off his pay and requiring him to obtain a new U.S. visa before any potential return.
Ongoing legal issues and career uncertainty
Franco‘s legal troubles have unfolded alongside highly publicized personal incidents. Over the past weekend, he alleged on social media that $16,000 had been stolen from a resort where he was staying.
His lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, initially stated that the money had been recovered and the situation resolved. Franco rejected that account, however, maintaining that the theft had occurred.
The suspended infielder was also arrested again in late 2024 after a reported altercation involving a woman’s attention, in which police said he was found with the unregistered firearm. That case remains unresolved.
Franco‘s rapid fall has contrasted sharply with the expectations set early in his career. In November 2021, he signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays, one of the largest deals ever for a player so young.
By 2023, he had become an All-Star and a central figure in Tampa Bay‘s lineup. His trajectory shifted abruptly when he was placed on administrative leave and subsequently moved to MLB’s restricted list, halting both his pay and his playing career.
Despite the suspension and ongoing investigations, Franco has said he continues to train. However, his immediate future in professional baseball remains unresolved while legal and personal matters dominate his circumstances.
The combination of legal convictions, unresolved cases, family-initiated medical detention, and MLB’s continuing investigation leaves Franco‘s career in a state of uncertainty.
Once projected as one of the game’s defining talents, he now faces a future clouded by legal and personal crises that may keep him sidelined indefinitely.
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