Wander Franco Latest Update: Police set Thursday deadline for Rays shortstop to appear for questioning following home raids

Authorities are currently looking for Rays shortstop Wander Franco. They performed two raids at his homes in Bani on Tuesday, but he was not found in either residence.

Police and MLB are investigating Franco for alleged inappropriate relationships with minors. Now, he has officially been summoned by the police to appear for questioning at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

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Back in August, Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave after a second underage girl alleged a relationship with the slugger. One girl went directly to the police, while the other posted the alleged relationship on social media.

MLB and authorities in the Dominican Republic started an investigation on the matter, leading to this police summoning. And this is a serious matter for both sides. The DR has strict laws prohibiting adults from having a sexual relationship with a person under the age of 18.

What we know about the Wander Franco situation

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Wander Franco was in the middle of his best so of his young career in 2023. He was hitting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases—nearly career highs across the board.

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Come August, allegations started to spread about inappropriate relationships with minors. MLB then quickly placed him on administrative leave, putting the Tampa Bay Rays in a tough spot.

They were unsure what would come of the investigation or how long they would be without their shortstop. Unfortunately, he would not play another game for the rest of the season.

Things were relatively quiet until Tuesday when it was reported that two raids were performed at his houses in Bani. While he was not found, authorities left phone numbers for Franco to call with his family members.

Now, he will have to appear before authorities on Thursday, adding another layer to this story.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom