Everything we know about the Wander Franco investigation
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
Wander Franco, the 22-year-old All-Star shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays, was placed on administrative leave Tuesday as MLB and law enforcement in his native Dominican Republic investigate allegations of relationships with underaged girls.
Franco had missed the past week of games after the Rays placed him on the restricted list on Aug. 14. He is being investigated by Dominican police as well as MLB’s department of investigations.
What does administrative leave mean? When could Franco return? And what do we know — and not know — about the investigations? We’re answering questions about Franco’s case so far.
What does administrative leave mean?
The designation of administrative leave is a significant but expected step by the league. Administrative leave removes a player from a team’s roster during an ongoing investigation into a potential violation of the sport’s domestic violence policy and can be extended indefinitely with the approval of the MLB Players Association.
Should Franco not challenge the leave, which is his right during the first seven days, the league could ask the MLBPA to consent to a seven-day extension of the initial designation. Following the first 14 days on administration leave, the MLBPA and MLB must come to an agreement on any further extension.
What do we know about Franco’s contact with the girls?
At least two girls have raised concerns — one publicly, one with law enforcement.
One of the girls, whose name and age have not been independently confirmed, alleged she was in a relationship with Franco and posted pictures with him on social media. Her Instagram account has since been deleted. Still, the allegations were enough for MLB to mobilize its department of investigations to look into the claims.
About a month earlier, a different girl contacted police to discuss Franco, according to Diario Libre, a Dominican newspaper. Prosecutors in Peravia, the Dominican province where Franco grew up, acknowledged that an investigation into him is open and being run by a unit that focuses on minors and gender violence. The lead prosecutor, Olga Dina Llaverias, is well-known in the country as a specialist in child abuse cases.
What is the status of the investigations?
The application of administrative leave implies that MLB believes it has enough evidence to withstand a potential challenge by Franco. When the league places a player on administrative leave, it takes a player off a team’s roster due to investigatory work remaining with regards to a potential violation of the joint domestic violence policy run by MLB and the MLB Players Association.
MLB has the unilateral ability to place a player on administrative leave. The player can challenge it, and within 24 hours, a neutral arbitrator will determine whether the league has presented “credible information” regarding the allegations or whether rejoining his team would cause “significant disruption.”
League investigators have attempted to gather information in the Dominican Republic, where the government’s investigation remains open. Another prosecutor, Angel Dario Tejeda Fabal, told the Associated Press that the case “is a very delicate topic because there is a minor involved” and suggested that this week they “might be able to give some of the necessary information without hurting the investigation.”
How do the laws in the Dominican Republic compare to the United States, and what could that mean for potential criminal action?
The age of consent for sexual activity in the D.R. is 18 years old. Unlike in the U.S., where age of consent varies by state and is further complicated by the so-called Romeo and Juliet laws that allow a close in age exception, the Dominican Republic’s law is firm. Any sexual contact by a person 18 or older with a person under 18 is illegal and can be prosecuted.
At the same time, in the D.R., criminal matters often are resolved more akin to civil cases, in which the person charged with the crime provides payment to the victim’s family, who then tells law enforcement they are satisfied with the outcome and would prefer not to further pursue criminal charges.
What MLB policies could be part of a potential punishment if the allegations are proven true?
The relevant joint policy defines three areas of violations: domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. The latter two, in particular, are pertinent to any potential Franco discipline.
Sexual assault, according to the policy, is committed through a nonconsensual sexual contact. The definition of sexual assault concludes with a pertinent phrase: “legally incapable of consent.” If Franco is found to have had sexual contact with someone under 18 — who, definitionally, cannot give consent — he would likely be subject to a violation of the policy.
Child abuse, which was narrowly defined in the previous version of the policy, was updated in the new collective bargaining agreement a year ago. In addition to the past definition, which includes “emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation of a child who is under the age of 18,” the newer one expands to “production, distribution, receipt, or possession of ‘child pornography’ … including any photograph, film, video, picture … where the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
To pursue a suspension in either area, MLB would need further evidence than what has been covered publicly.
What is the precedent for violations of the policy?
Since the adoption of the joint policy in August 2015, MLB has suspended 16 players. Punishments have ranged from 15 games to 324 games. That record suspension of 324 games, handed down to former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, was reduced on appeal to 194 games.
It’s far too early to know whether Franco’s case will mirror Bauer’s. But for a sense of the timeline and how long these sorts of cases can take, Bauer’s is instructive. He was placed on administrative leave in early July 2021. He remained on it through April 2022, when the league levied its suspension. Bauer missed the entire season, and in December, the arbitrator reduced the suspension by 130 games. Eventually, the Dodgers released Bauer, and he went unsigned in MLB, winding up with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan.
Nearly every other case punished by MLB’s policy falls under the domestic violence classification. MLB did not punish the closest analog to the allegations against Franco, former Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vazquez, because he was sentenced to two to four years in state prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl he met on social media.
AMES, Iowa — No. 14 Iowa State‘s secondary will be without longtime starters Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper for the rest of the season because of knee injuries.
Coach Matt Campbell announced Tuesday that Williams damaged the ACL in his right knee late in the Cyclones’ 39-14 win over Arizona on Saturday. Cooper tore his ACL in practice last week. The two have combined for 55 starts.
Williams, an Associated Press All-Big 12 second-team pick in 2024, had one interception and two pass breakups this season. He was hurt with three minutes left against Arizona as he dove in an attempt to knock a ball away from a receiver.
“So that’s a situation that really stinks for the kid,” Campbell said. “But man, just how he’s handled it has been uber impressive. And a great human. He’ll be back ready to rock and roll next year.”
Cooper has made 36 starts since 2022 and was an AP All-Big 12 first-team pick at safety in 2023. He switched to cornerback full time this season and had an interception and three pass breakups through four games.
Tre Bell, a transfer from Lindenwood, made his first start for the Cyclones in Cooper’s place against Arizona. Quentin Taylor Jr., who played 26 snaps against Arizona, would be in line to make his first start when the Cyclones (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) visit Cincinnati (3-1, 1-0) on Saturday.
Inspirational thought of the week:
I hear your laugh
And look up smiling at you
I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch
And the tractor rides
Look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs
And fall asleep on the way home
I don’t know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you’re not scared of anything at all
— “The Best Day,” Taylor Swift
Here at Bottom 10 Headquarters, located beneath the pile of regret RSVP cards at Rece Davis’ house because his daughter scheduled a fall wedding, now that October has arrived, we know exactly where you will all have been this week. Standing in line with us, waiting for the store to open at midnight Oct. 3 to sell us the first copies of Tay-Tay’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Yes, this week the World’s Most Famous Chiefs Fan Not Named Ant-Man drops her new batch of songs, but we also know that as the Bottom 10 faithful camp out on the sidewalk, they will be listening to another playlist of sweet tunes. I’m speaking of the fight songs of Sam Houston, We Have a Problem on Thursday night. Then, the Charlotte 1-and-3’ers, San No-sé State and Colora-duh State on Friday night. All programs that are in their own “Era” of writing “Bottom 10’s Version” of their “Reputation” for “Evermore.”
And while we watch those games, at some point we will realize that it isn’t “1989” and we no longer have to be in line to buy a new record. Or buy records at all. We can download them to our phones. Or as we call them here in the B10CU, the Bottom 10 Cinematic Universe, our pocket computers.
With apologies to the Taylor University Trojans, former Nebraska wide receiver Nate Swift and Steve Harvey, here are the post-Week 5 Bottom 10 rankings.
The Bearkats kruised through their skheduled open date and now koncentrate on krossing the Rio Grande for a kontest kounter to New Mexiko State, who were just konquered by New Mexiko in Albukuerkue.
Have you seen that meme of Cookie Monster drumming his fingers on the table, impatiently waiting to go bonkers on a yet-to-arrive tray of cookies? Yeah, that’s us, waiting for the Oct. 11 Pillow Fight of the Week of the Year of the Century Mega Bowl, when the Minutemen travel to face State of Kent, who are 1-3 after taking the week off. But before that, UMass hosts Western Not Eastern Michigan, while Kent will be getting run over by the Sooner Schooner like a snake trying to cross an Oklahoma freeway.
In Westwood, they said bye to their coach, then they had a bye week, then they lost at Bottom 10 Wait Listers Northworstern, then they raced USC back to Los Angeles, both wondering why they said bye to having all those games closer to home in the league they said bye to too.
Speaking of the Artist Formerly Known But Soon To Be Known Again As The Pac-12, the Beavers became the nation’s first five-loss team after a near-win over undefeated Houston Not Sam Houston. Now they travel east to face Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina, where I once camped with the Boy Scouts and had all of our food stolen by actual beavers.
There are those who might try to convince you that Penn State’s White Out didn’t work the night they played Oregon, but it did. Watch James Franklin’s postgame news conference when he was asked about his record against top-10 teams. He totally used virtual Wite-Out to paint over the word “narrative” and change it to “factual.”
I was roasted over mesquite, and rightfully so, for omitting Oklahoma State from these rankings one week ago after it lost to Living On Tulsa Time at home and then fired Mike “I’m a man! I’m 58!” Gundy. It was a mistake. I was in denial. But I was snapped out of that trance of disbelief by all of the DMs and texts from Stillwater phone numbers saying that I had to have Oklahoma State in here this week or lose all credibility, including one from what my caller ID listed as “Gundy, M.”
The Spartans Not Trojans are one of a whopping four Mountain West teams stuck at 1-3, but won, er, lost out for this spot over the other three because: A. They actually played a game last weekend; 3. They lost the Pillow Fight of the Week to neighbor and fellow Bottom 10 Waiting Lister Stanfird by one point; and fifthly, they can probably sneak up on New Mexico this weekend because the Lobos have spent all week with upset tummies after spending a week eating from college football’s new greatest rivalry trophy, the Chile Roaster.
I feel very strongly that we as a nation aren’t making a big enough deal out of this new chile roaster trophy for New Mexico-New Mexico State. pic.twitter.com/ls0s5X1ETA
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) September 28, 2025
The Other Other Huskies are one of a whopping six #MACtion team stuck at 1-and-something, but won, er, lost out for this spot over the other five because: 1. They actually played a game last weekend; C. They lost to San Diego State, which isn’t terrible, but the final score of the game was 6-3; and secondly, we wanted a chance to hype this week’s Pillow Fight of the Week, when they host My Hammy of Ohio, which is now 1-3 after beating Lindenwood, a school you’ve never heard of unless you are a big Pierre Desir fan.
The Red Wolves are one of a not-as-whopping but still not small three Fun Belt teams stuck at 1-and-something, but won, er, lost out for this spot over the other two because: I. They actually played last weekend; IV. They lost to our old friends and former Bottom 10 stalwart ULM (pronounced “uhlm”); and XL. That Week 2 loss to now-head coach-less Arkansaw by 42 points is aging about as well as that bottle of gas station chardonnay that I accidentally left under the seat of my truck all summer.
My hometown team is one of a totally-not-whopping-but-still-seems-like-a-lot-for-one-conference-after-only-one-month-of-football three Just American teams stuck at 1-and-something, but won, er … OK, yeah … I’m tired of this bit too. Almost as tired as the Niners fans will be of watching US(not C)F run up and down the field on Friday night. The good news? Shortly after the game ends, they can ease their pain by listening to Tay’s new album.
Waiting list: State of Kent, UTEPid, Muddled Tennessee State, Northworstern, FA(not I)U, Bah-stan Cawledge, Clempson, Flori-duh, Georgia State Not Southern, Colora-duh State, No-vada, Stanfird, My Hammy of Ohio, South Alabama Redundancies, Give Me Liberty Or Give Me 1-4, Akronmonious, Baller State, a college football world without Sam Pittman in it.
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