Franco, who was given a two-year suspended sentence in the Dominican Republic for sexual abuse of a minor in June, was removed from his home, apparently at the request of his family.
In a complex situation, Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was removed from his home in the Dominican Republic at the request of his family, who allegedly feared he was suffering from mental health issues.
Per @MananaDeportivaTV, Franco was apparently detained in the middle of an Instagram Live video. You can see the incident unfold in the "X" posts below:
A further post on X from the outlet has information from the spokesperson of the Dominican police:
Diego Pesqueira confirms in MD the of the national police at Wander Franco's house. PN spokesperson says it was at the request of his father due to a behavioral situation he was exhibiting at the time. He was medicated and taken to receive mental health care.
The report adds that Franco is not in any trouble for this particular situation, and the intervention was done only at the request of the family.
Pesqueira clarifies on Mañana Deportiva that it is nothing criminal, related to courts or problems with the national police, but rather assisting him to manage an emotional situation that arose and prompted his father, Wander Franco Sr., to call the PN.
Franco was given a two-year suspended sentence this June for sexual abuse of a minor as relating to a relationship he previously had with that minor in his home country. He has to stay in the Dominican Republic as a result and there are serious doubts about if he'll ever play in the major leagues again. He has not played since 2023 when this information surfaced publicly.
Still just 24 years old, Franco is one of the most talented players to ever play for the Rays organization. He made the All-Star Game in that 2023 season, hitting .281 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs in just 112 games prior to being placed on administrative leave.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (5) celebrates after he hit s RBI triple against the St. Louis Cardinals at Tropicana Field in 2023. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn ImagesHe signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with the Rays before the 2022 season, and given that he is unable to fulfill the terms of the contract, the team likely will have grounds to try to recoup at least some of the the money.
We will have more information on this story as it develops.