Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that Wander Franco, the star shortstop of the Tampa Bay Rays, has been placed on administrative leave “until further notice” as the league continues its investigation into allegations against him.
Franco, 22, has been on the restricted list since Aug. 14, when posts on social media about inappropriate relationships with underage people prompted the league to begin an investigation. M.L.B. clarified in its announcement on Tuesday that Franco was not being disciplined under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy at this juncture. It also said it would “comment further at the appropriate time.”
In addition to M.L.B.’s investigation, The Associated Press reported that a prosecutor in the Dominican Republic had confirmed last week that Franco was under investigation there under a division specializing in minors and gender violence.
The change in Franco’s M.L.B. status will have little practical effect for the player, who has not appeared in a game since Aug. 12. The choice to place him on administrative leave matches the way the league handled the investigation of Trevor Bauer, a former Cy Young Award-winning pitcher who was accused of sexual assault by multiple women.
Under administrative…
