Everything you need to know about charges, MLB suspensions and more

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been officially charged by authorities in the Dominican Republic with sexually abusing a young girl.

Franco was once the most promising player in baseball. Now his future in the MLB is the least of his worries as he faces prison time in his home country.

This years-long saga has now reached its worst point. Here’s everything you need to know:

According to Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN, Franco is accused of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of a minor in the Dominican Republic.

Dominican authorities arrested the 23-year-old in January and alleged that he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl over a period of four months starting in 2022. This would cover the accusation of sexual abuse.

The accusation of sexual exploitation presumably stems from gifts that the baseball player allegedly gave to the girl’s mother. The prosecution claims that Franco gave the mother cash and a car in order to obtain her consent to the relationship.

Allegations against Franco emerged last year. Since then, he has been on the MLB restricted list. He played his last game on August 12, 2023.

Because Franco is on the banned list, he is effectively on leave. He will continue to receive pay while the legal system resolves the matter. Because Dominican authorities have filed charges, he will likely remain on the banned list for the foreseeable future. He has not been suspended.

However, MLB has the right to suspend Franco once the league completes its own investigation, but that likely won’t happen until his case has been heard in court.

In 2022, Trevor Bauer received the longest suspension in MLB history, totaling 324 games, or the equivalent of two seasons. The league imposed this punishment without there being any criminal charges against him, so the outcome of any charges in the Dominican Republic will not necessarily determine what kind of punishment he might receive at the MLB level.