MLB extends Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco's istrative leave until July 14

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have extended Wander Franco's istrative leave until July 14, a procedural measure that seeks to buy more time for new developments to materialize in a possible criminal case that is being investigated in the Dominican Republic, according to reports.

The Tampa Bay Rays shortstop faces accusations of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in his native Dominican Republic, he also allegedly paid the teen's mother for her consent. He will continue to receive his $2 million salary while is on leave.

Franco's previous license was set to expire on June 1. The new extension of the license will last until the MLB All-Star Game break and could be extended to a critical point in the investigation, since the Dominican authorities have a deadline to present their formal accusation against the player, the date of July 5th. It is recalled that the shortstop has not been formally accused in his country.

A promising career has gone sideways

Wander Franco, a 23-year-old player who made his first All-Star team last year and was becoming one of the most exciting young players in the game, spent the final six weeks of the 2023 season on istrative leave after being accused of having sexual relations with a teenage girl when he was 21 years old.

Franco was initially charged by Dominican prosecutors with commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering on January 3, while the girl's mother, who was 14 when the alleged relationship began in December 2022, faced the same charge.

Days after a closer review of the evidence, a judge in the Dominican Republic charged Franco with a lesser charge of sexual and psychological abuse. If convicted, he could face between two and five years in prison. MLB launched a separate investigation into Franco that is not expected to conclude until his criminal case is resolved.