SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, suspended after being found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor, has been admitted to a clinic in the Dominican Republic to receive treatment for mental health issues. Authorities confirmed the news this Tuesday.
The request for admission to the clinic came from his own family, according to Colonel Diego Pesqueira, police spokesman, reported to the media. Pesqueira clarified that Franco’s admission to the private clinic in Baní, his hometown, is not related to any legal matter.
This recent development comes after the 24-year-old player reported on social media the alleged theft of $16,000 from a resort where he was staying.
His lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, initially clarified that there was a misunderstanding with the incident and that the money was found. However, Franco contradicted his lawyer, insisting that the money was stolen.
In June, Franco was found guilty of sexually abusing a minor and received a suspended sentence of two years.
The baseball player was arrested in 2024 after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to the minor’s mother to obtain her consent.
Franco’s future in MLB is uncertain, although he has stated that he continues to train.
In November 2021, Franco signed a contract for 11 years and 182 million dollars. His career was abruptly interrupted in August 2023, when the Dominican authorities announced an investigation against him.
Franco was arrested again last November after an incident involving the attention of a woman. He was charged with illegally carrying a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol, registered in his uncle’s name, according to the police.
That case is still pending in court.
Six months after his arrest in 2024, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which interrupted the payment he was receiving while on administrative leave.
He was included on that list because he didn’t report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.
