"Everything is going to be in the hands of God" - Wander Franco turns to faith amid investigation into alleged underage relationship

A Dominican Republic judge has granted the conditional release of Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco. Franco is being investigated for an alleged relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

He is also being investigated for alleged money laundering. He's been accused of giving the mother of the underage girl money and a small car after she allegedly consented to the relationship.

The judge is allowing Franco to leave on the stipulation that he return once a month to meet with authorities. He was also ordered to pay two million Dominican pesos ($34,000). During this ordeal, Franco remained quiet, but he had some things to say to reporters during the recess of the hearing.

Franco said it was up to a higher power to decide his fate.

"Everything is going to be in the hands of God," Franco was quoted as saying by ESPN.

The daughter's mother is also in trouble with the law in the Dominican Republic. She has been placed under house arrest until the investigation is completed.

Taking a closer look at the Wander Franco situation

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A few months ago, a social media post went viral accusing Wander Franco of having a relationship with a minor. Shortly after, a 17-year-old girl filed a complaint against Franco in July. After the league heard about this, they placed him on administrative leave, which ended his 2023 season.

According to authorities, Franco took the underage girl away from her house in December 2022 and had a multiple-month relationship with her. On top of that, he is accused of giving the girl's mother thousands in exchange for allowing the girl to leave the house whenever she wanted, according to court documents.

Franco was coming off a career year in nearly all categories. He appeared in 112 games, hitting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases.

It put the Tampa Bay Rays in a tough spot. They needed to find a replacement for Franco, which was tough given the All-Star season he was having. They ended up losing to the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card round.