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Rays’ Wander Franco set to play baseball again after minor sexual abuse guilty verdicts, but not in MLB
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- Rays’ Wander Franco set to play baseball again after minor sexual abuse guilty verdicts, but not in MLB
Rays' Wander Franco set to play baseball again after minor sexual abuse guilty verdicts, but not in MLB appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
At one point, Wander Franco was deemed the future of the Tampa Bay Rays . But now, that is a long lost forgotten memory.
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Franco isn't ending his baseball career though. The shortstop is set to play for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games, via Enrique Rojas of ESPN. There's no word on exactly how Franco was chosen for the roster, via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
If the shortstop is competing though, it'd be the first time he has played baseball since 2023. In that time, he has racked up numerous criminal charges that make him unlikely to play for the Rays or MLB at any point.
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Franco was found criminally responsible for sexual and psychological abuse of a minor back in May. It was the second time the shortstop was deemed guilty , as in his first case he was sentenced to two years probation. That resolution was then appealed, leading to his latest trial.
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While Franco was found criminally responsible, he was spared from facing any jail time . Barring the Dominican Republic team or Central American and Caribbean Games officials changing their current rules, the shortstop is now eligible to play.
That isn't true when it comes to his status with MLB. He remains on administrative leave and hasn't been paid by the Rays since 2024, via Topkin. His visa status will remain in question due to the charges against himself. Furthermore, MLB at large is still yet to hand down sanctions as they were waiting for the legal process to play out.
Franco's career has gone down a path no one expected. But somehow after all those charges, that career is still continuing.
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