Rays shortstop Wander Franco was placed on the restricted list and is away from the team starting Monday, when Tampa Bay begins a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants.
The Rays said the move was mutual and would last through the current road trip.
Moving a player to the restricted list, typically used when a player is away from the team for non-baseball reasons or opts to retire, equates to removing them from the active roster. ESPN reported on Monday the Rays are not obligated to pay Franco while he’s on the restricted list.
The team confirmed Major League Baseball began investigating social media posts suggesting Franco was having an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.
Franco, 22, did not play in Tampa Bay’s 9-2 home loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon.
“During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco,” the team said in a statement two hours after the game. “We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence.”
Osleivis Basabe started at shortstop on Sunday. Basabe went 1-for-3 with a double in his Major League debut.
The Spanish-language social media posts were made Saturday night and went viral Sunday. Franco was given Sunday’s game off despite a scheduled Wander Franco hat giveaway for fans aged 14 and under.
Franco was in the dugout when the game began but reportedly left the stadium during the fifth inning.
Rays manager Kevin Cash later told reporters that Franco was given a “day off” but acknowledged that he knew about the discussion brewing on social media.
“I am aware of this speculation,” Cash said. “I’m not going to comment any further on that. But the day off was because (of) the day off.”
The Rays signed Franco to a $182 million, 11-year contract in November 2021, with a team option for 2033 that could make the deal worth up to $223 million.
Franco made his first All-Star Game this year and has had a strong season on the field. He is batting .281 with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs and 30 stolen bases over 112 games for a team in line to make the postseason.
The Rays also chose to bench Franco for two games in July in response to his behavior around his teammates and how he would deal with frustration.
–Field Level Media
