Report: Rays' Wander Franco Placed on MLB Administrative Leave Through June 1

MLB has placed Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco on administrative leave through at least June 1, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The league originally placed Franco on administrative leave last August, where he remained for the duration of the 2023 season, after he became the subject of an investigation in the Dominican Republic regarding allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

The Rays subsequently reinstated Franco in a procedural move because the administrative leave designation is only applicable during the season.

The 23-year-old was arrested on Jan. 1 and granted a conditional release from jail a week later.

According to Passan and colleague Juan Arturo Recio, prosecutors allege Franco began a relationship with a teenage girl and had sex with her in December 2022, when she was 14. He allegedly acknowledged in a conversation their relationship "could cause problems for me" if the Rays were made aware.

"It is a rule for all teams that we cannot talk to minors, and yet I took the risk and I loved it," he wrote to her, per Passan and Recio.

Franco allegedly provided money and gifts to the girl and her mother in part to keep quiet about the relationship. The girl's mother is facing charges of money laundering, according to the ESPN report.

Prosecutors pointed to "transcripts of interviews with the girl and her relatives, messages between Franco and the girl, and more" as evidence against Franco, per ESPN.

Jay Reisinger, an attorney for the 23-year-old, issued a statement to Passan and Recio addressing the allegations.

"There are serious questions regarding the authenticity of particular documents and references contained in the prosecutor's confidential file, which was inappropriately disclosed to certain media outlets," he said. "We are in consultation with Mr. Franco's legal counsel in the Dominican Republic, and we intend to take the necessary legal measures in response."

By going on administrative leave, Franco is entitled to collect his $2 million salary for the 2024 season. According to Passan, his status could change before June 1 depending on how his case evolves. MLB and the MLB Players Association could instead decide to extend his period on administrative leave or shift him to the restricted list, in which case he'd no longer be paid.