MLB puts Rays’ Franco on administrative leave
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball on Tuesday amid multiple investigations into alleged relationships he had with underage girls in his native Dominican Republic.
Franco, 22, who missed the past week after the Rays placed him on the restricted list, is being investigated by Dominican police, as well as MLB’s department of investigations. While no charges have been filed against Franco, a prosecutor last week said a division specializing in minors and gender violence is directing the police investigation.
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.
“The administrative leave, effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. We will comment further at the appropriate time,” MLB said in a statement Tuesday.
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.
MLB started its investigation into Franco within hours of social media messages Aug. 13 that alluded to Franco’s relationship with a girl under the age of consent, which is 18 in the Dominican Republic. A prosecutor in the province of Peravia, where Franco’s hometown of Bani is the capital, told The Associated Press last week that an investigation with “a minor involved” is in its early stages and will be led by Olga Dina Llaverias, a prosecutor who specializes in child abuse cases. Diario Libre, a Dominican newspaper, had reported that a 17-year-old girl filed a complaint with the attorney general against Franco in July.
The social media storm on Aug. 13 prompted the Rays to keep Franco from joining the team in San Francisco, where it was scheduled to play the next day. Tampa Bay and Franco agreed for him to spend the next week on the restricted list, but with a home series starting Tuesday against Colorado, the use of administrative leave rather than an extension of his restricted-list stay was expected.
If Franco were to challenge administrative leave — during which he will be paid and accrue service time — the case would go to a neutral arbitrator, who would decide whether there is “credible information” to support the allegations against him or if Franco rejoining the Rays would “cause significant disruption” to the team.
The MLBPA and Franco’s attorney, Jay Reisinger, declined comment.
Franco, who is in the second year of an 11-year, $182 million contract, was in the midst of a breakout season, batting .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and he made his first All-Star Game appearance.
George Springer had a career-high seven RBIs, including his ninth grand slam, and the Toronto Blue Jays celebrated Canada Day by beating the Yankees 12-5 on Tuesday and closing within one game of American League East-leading New York.
The seven RBIs are tied for the second most by any Blue Jays player in a home game, behind Edwin Encarnación (nine RBIs in 2015), according to ESPN Research.
Andrés Giménez had a go-ahead, three-run homer for the Blue Jays, who overcame a 2-0 deficit against Max Fried. After the Yankees tied the score 4-4 in the seventh, Toronto broke open the game in the bottom half against a reeling Yankees bullpen.
Springer went 3-for-4, starting the comeback with a solo homer in the fourth against Fried and boosting the lead to 9-5 with the slam off Luke Weaver after Ernie Clement‘s go-ahead single off shortstop Anthony Volpe‘s glove. Springer has 13 homers this season.
Toronto won the first two games of the four-game series and closed within one game of the Yankees for the first time since before play on April 20.
New York went 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 3-for-24 in the series, while the Blue Jays were 5-for-7. After going 13-14 in June, the Yankees fell to 10-14 against AL East rivals.
The Associate Press contributed to this report.
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