Rays’ Wander Franco positioned on administrative leave as examination continues

Wander Franco was put on administrative leave forever by Major League Baseball on Tuesday while authorities in the Dominican Republic examine the All-Star shortstop for an declared relationship with a small.

The 22-year-old will be paid and get service time while on administrative leave under an contract with the gamers’ association that did not set a schedule for a choice on whether he will be disciplined.

Franco was positioned on the limited list for a week on Aug. 14 while MLB released an examination following social media posts recommending he was in a relationship with a small. The AP has not been able to confirm the reported posts.

MLB stated the shift to administrative leave was not disciplinary under the sport’s joint domestic violence, sexual attack and kid abuse policy. The administrative leave did not have the typical seven-day limitation under the policy, so it is possible Franco will not return this season.

Ángel Darío Tejeda Fabal, a districtattorney in the Dominican Republic province of Peravia, stated an examination into Franco was open under a department specializing in minors and gender violence.

MLB is mostlikely to wait till that examination is concluded priorto choosing whether there will be any discipline, a individual familiar with the probe informed The Associated Press. The individual spoke on condition of privacy duetothefactthat that was not revealed.

Franco was held out of the Rays’ lineup on Aug. 13 in what supervisor Kevin Cash stated was a day off, then missedouton a six-game West Coast journey while on the limited list.

MLB and the gamers’ association concurred to the joint domestic violence policy in2015 It permits a gamer to be positioned on administrative leave for 7 days however permits for MLB to demand extensions while it examines.

A gamer continues to get pay and accumulate significant league service while on administrative leave.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer was on administrative leave from July 2, 2021, upuntil the following April 29, when he was suspended for 324 videogames. The charge was lowered by an arbitrator to 194 videogames. Bauer was implicated of attack, an allegation he has consistently rejected.

Franco has wages of $2 million this season and next as part of a $182 million, 11-year agreement that began in 2022.

He is in his 3rd huge league season and was striking ,281 with 17 homers, 58 RBIs and 30 taken bases in 40 tries over 112 videogames.

Eighteen gamers haveactually been disciplined by MLB under the domestic violence policy. The newest was New York Yankees pitcher Jimmy Cordero, who concurred on July 5 to a suspension for the last 76 videogames of the season.

Reporting by The Associated Press.