Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was arrested by Dominican authorities this week, according to MLB journalists Hector Gomez.
Franco will be taken before a judge on January 3rd to be arraigned and prosecutors are expected to ask Franco to remain in jail with no bail as the case moves forward, per Gomez.
Major League Baseball placed Franco on administrative leave in August when rumors of his alleged misconduct initially sparked, and a number of people have filed legal action against Franco who is alleged to have had relationships with at least two minors.
The Rays organization released a statement back in August fully supporting the MLB’s investigation and declining to add any further comment at that time.
Franco would return to the Dominican Republic, but local authorities continued their investigation, and even reportedly raided him home back on December 26th.
Following that raid, Franco was summoned for questioning by authorities and he was supposed to meet with the Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents in the Dominican Republic on December 28th, but he never showed up.
Franco will now have to face the legal process, allegations, and the lawyers involved in what will likely be a very lengthy process.
