It seems that Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco is at the center of a manhunt by police in his native Dominican Republic.
In August the Rays’ roster and chances in the postseason took a huge hit when MLB decided to indefinitely suspend All-Star shortstop Wander Franco. It was the result of a scandal surrounding the 22-year-old after it was revealed that he may have had an inappropriate relationship with a minor in the Dominican Republic.
Little has been revealed about what comes next with officials in the DR and MLB investigating the allegations. However, there were some new developments about the situation on Tuesday night. The New York Post reported that Dominican police had raided two homes owned by the Tampa Bay player. One of the houses reportedly is where his mother currently lives.
The home of Wander Franco’s mother raided by Dominican police
- Wander Franco stats (2023): .281 AVG, .344 OBP, .475 SLG, 17 HR, 58 RBI, 65 R, 30 SB
“They went to raid two properties that Wander Franco has there, but they were not carried out, because he was not in any of those places,” a Dominican agent who requested anonymity due to the ongoing investigation told the Associated Press.
A relationship between an adult and a minor under 18 years of age is prohibited in the Dominican Republic even if the minor gives consent. Wander Franco publicly denied the charges soon after the news broke of his potentially illegal relationship back in August.
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In his third season in the league, he posted career highs in games (112), home runs (17), runs batted in (58), and stolen bases (30).