Wander Franco ‘FINALLY visits Dominican Republic prosecutors investigating his alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor’ after $182m MLB star did not show when summoned last week

Wander Franco, the MLB star accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor, has apparently finally visited Dominican Republic authorities investigating the case.

Last week, the 22-year-old Franco’s homes were raided by police in search of him and he was ordered to meet with authorities from the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents in the city of Santo Domingo on December 28.

Local newspaper Listin Diario posted a video to social media at about 11:45 a.m. that showed officials waiting for his arrival and listing him as a no-show, and agency director Olga Dina Llaverias later confirmed he did not appear.

But on Monday, Diario Libre, a publication in the Dominican Republic, published a picture of the Tampa Bay Rays player with his lawyers having appeared at the prosecutor’s office.

The Rays placed Franco on the restricted list Aug. 14 and then on paid administrative leave on Aug. 22 as MLB launched an investigation into social media posts indicating Franco was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Franco has denied the allegations, going live on his Instagram account when they first emerged to address them. 

‘They’re saying I got with a young girl, that I’m running around with a minor out there,’ Franco told teammates, in Spanish, during his live broadcast. ‘How crazy is that, dude? People don’t know what to do with their time. 

‘Those people need to get moving. One is here focused, doing my thing, you see, thanks to God. That’s why I prefer to be on my side and not get involved with anybody because people are so gossipy.’

The age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18.

Tampa Bay signed Franco to an $182million, 11-year contract in November 2021, a deal with a team option for 2033 that could be worth $223million. 

Franco since was moved to Tampa Bay’s active roster, but only because administrative leave is unavailable during the offseason. He could be placed back on administrative leave when spring training begins.

Franco, who was first called up in 2021 as one of the most hyped prospects in recent years, played a career-high 112 games and was an All-Star for the first time in 2023. 

He set career highs in virtually all statistical categories, including home runs (17), RBIs (58), steals (30) and runs (65) while batting .281 with a .344 on-base percentage and a .475 slugging percentage.