Wander Franco had a summons to appear before authorities investigating his cases in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, but the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop did not show up.
Listin Diario, a media outlet in the Dominican Republic, shared a video that showed the magistrate in charge of the case saying that neither Franco nor his legal team appeared.
#VideoLD | Ni Wander Franco ni su defensa se han presentado a la Dirección Nacional de Niños, Niñas, Adolescentes y Familia. #ListínDiario pic.twitter.com/BJvTaMRZUO
— LISTÍN DIARIO (@ListinDiario) December 28, 2023
A report from Dominican outlet Dominicano Ahora said Franco disempowered/fired his lawyers. There is speculation that he may have disempowered his legal team so that they wouldn’t have been able to tell him about his summons.
Franco is being investigated by the Offices of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents in the Dominican Republic over allegations that he had inappropriate relationships with minors. Authorities searched for Franco at two different homes in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday but could not locate him.
Franco last played in MLB on Aug. 12. He was placed on paid administrative leave once the allegations were made public.
The 21-year-old shortstop batted .281 with an .819 OPS in 112 games during the 2023 season. He made his first All-Star team this year and is signed through 2032 on a $182 million contract.
