Dominican baseball player Wander Franco fails to appear at prosecutor's office amid investigation
Posted: December 29, 2023 - 2:30am

FILE - Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco warms up before a spring training baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. Franco gets the 13th-highest bonus at $706,761, in the $50 million pool for pre-arbitration players, according to figures compiled by Major League Baseball and the players’ association. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco failed to show up Thursday for a meeting with a prosecutor who is investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor.

Prosecutor Olga Dina Llaverias said the investigation will continue regardless of Franco's no-show. She waited for the All-Star player and his lawyers at her office, but they didn't appear.

Dominican prosecutors and police showed up on Tuesday at a Franco property in Bani, his hometown about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Santo Domingo. They did not find the 22-year-old player to request he appear for testimony.

Franco's U.S.-based lawyer, Jay Reisinger, declined comment.

The Dominican Republic's prosecutors' office said on Aug. 14 that Franco was under investigation because of postings on his social media channels suggesting he had a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts.

Franco's no-show could be because his current lawyers may not have been summoned for the meeting. The AP had access to a document in which lawyers Luz Diaz Rodriguez, Rosalina Trueba, Cristian Cabrera and Manuel Rodriguez were dismissed by Franco.

Franco was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball in August under its the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy with the players' association. He was paid received service time while on administrative leave. There is no timetable for a conclusion of MLB's investigation and whether the results of the probe might lead to discipline by MLB.