Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has reportedly been admitted into a mental health facility in the Dominican Republic.
Franco, who was convicted in June of sexually abusing a minor, was admitted into a clinic on Tuesday for mental health issues, according to The Associated Press. A police spokesperson in the Dominican Republic said the request for officers to detain and admit Franco came from the 24-year-old’s family.
Police said Franco’s admittance into the facility is not related to any legal issues.
Franco went on Instagram Live earlier this month and claimed that $16,000 had been stolen from him at a resort where he was staying. Franco’s attorney Teodosio Jáquez said the situation was a misunderstanding and that the money was found, though Franco spoke again afterward and insisted the money was stolen.
Franco was found guilty in June of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic when he was 21. He was sentenced to two years in prison, though the sentence was suspended. He will have to stay away from minors in order to avoid serving the full term.
Prosecutors were seeking a five-year prison sentence for Franco, as well as a 10-year sentence for the girl’s mother. The girl’s mother was convicted of trafficking her daughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She had been accused of accepting payments from Franco to allow him to continue dating her daughter.
Franco was initially placed on administrative leave but was later put on MLB’s restricted list following the allegations. He was an All-Star in 2023 with the Rays when the allegations first became public. He had batted .281 with 23 doubles and 17 home runs in 112 games that season.
Franco was in the early parts of an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays that he had signed in 2021. He has not been receiving payments since July 2024.
