Getty Image
Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco is nowhere to be found.
At least, that’s according to police in the Dominican Republic after they carried out two raids of his home on Tuesday executed by the Attorney General’s Office for Children and Adolescents of Santo Domingo.
Franco is accused of having had a relationship with a young minor from Puerto Plata.
He was placed on leave by Major League Baseball in August.
Franco, formerly the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, had grown into a superstar for Tampa Bay. But allegations emerged on social media about an inappropriate relationship with a minor and the MLB didn’t take long to act.
“The administrative leave, effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. We will comment further at the appropriate time,” MLB said in a statement.
Shortly after, the Rays released the statement of their own.
“We support Major League Baseball’s decision to place Wander Franco on Administration Leave,” the Rays said in a statement. “The Tampa Bay Rays are dedicated to upholding high standards of integrity both on and off the field. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans and supporters as this process unfolds. We will have no further statements on this matter until MLB completes its process.”
Franco has not offered a statement on the matter.
And now it appears he’s not exactly looking to offer up a statement to anyone anytime soon.
Wander Franco Flees From Dominican Police Before Raid
“Near 3:00 p.m., police vehicles and the Office of the Attorney General’s Office for Children and Adolescents of Santo Domingo were observed arriving at Franco’s maternal home in the community of Palo Blanco, in Baní,” Jose Says reports. “They then headed to the house where the Tampa Bay Rays torpedo at Villa Real, but the Banilejo baller was not found in any of these residences.
“Neighbors close to Villa Real’s residence claim that the authorities would have left Franco’s wife phone numbers for the athlete to contact them.”
Something tells us Franco’s MLB career might well be over.