Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is going on the restricted list and will take a leave from the club while MLB investigates potentially concerning social media posts, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed.
The Rays released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, noting the team and Franco “have mutually agreed that he will go on the Restricted List and take leave from the Club for the duration of the current road trip.”
Shortly after the first statement, the Rays released a second one which acknowledged MLB’s investigation.
“We support any steps taken by the league to better understand the situation. Out of respect for all parties involved, we have no further comments at this time.”
Franco is also being investigated by authorities in his home country of the Dominican Republic, the attorney general’s office said in a statement.
Franco, 22, was not with his teammates on the Rays’ team plane Sunday as they headed to San Francisco, according to ESPN, for their upcoming series against the Giants, which started Monday evening.
The social media posts in question, which appear to have been deleted, reportedly emerged Sunday and alleged that Franco was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Franco started Sunday’s game in the Rays’ dugout, then left it in the fifth inning of Tampa Bay’s’ 9-2 loss to the Guardians.
In an inopportune twist, the matinee at Tropicana Field was Wander Franco snapback hats for fans 14 and under.
After the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash sidestepped questions about Franco’s status.
“I’m aware of the speculation, and I’m not going to comment any further on that,” Cash said. “The day off was because [it was] a day off.”
Osleivis Basabe started at shortstop on Sunday in the 22-year-old’s major league debut.
Rays general manager Peter Bendix told 95.3 WDAE in Tampa Bay on Monday the club hasn’t determined how it will replace Franco during his absence, though he called Basabe an “exciting player.”
Franco, an AL All-Star this season, is hitting .281 with 17 homers, 58 RBIs and is 30 for 40 in stolen-base attempts in 112 games.
In November 2021, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays.
The deal can max out at $223 million if incentives are reached and Tampa Bay exercises its option for 2033, at which time Franco will be 32.
According to MLB.com, Franco’s contract set a club record for largest deal in Rays history. It also represents the largest deal in MLB history for a player with less than a year of service time.
Franco will be paid while on the restricted list, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
