Rays’ Wander Franco not traveling with team as MLB looks into allegations of improper relationship with minor

Rays star Wander Franco didn’t journey with the workforce as MLB appears to be like into social media posts relating to the rising star. 

Franco, 22, was not along with his teammates on the Rays’ workforce airplane as they headed to San Francisco for his or her upcoming collection in opposition to the Giants, which begins Monday night, according to ESPN. 

The posts, which seem to have been deleted on X (previously Twitter), reportedly emerged on Sunday and alleged that Franco was concerned in an inappropriate relationship with a minor, according to the Tampa Bay Times. 

The Rays stated MLB is trying into the posts and allegations. 

“Throughout at this time’s sport, we had been made conscious of the social media posts which can be circulating relating to Wander Franco,” the Rays stated in a press release. “We take the state of affairs significantly and are in shut contact with Main League Baseball because it conducts its due diligence.” 

Tampa didn’t specify what the posts alleged. 

Franco didn’t play within the Rays’ 9-2 loss to the Guardians on Sunday, although supervisor Kevin Money claimed it was a deliberate relaxation day. 

“I’m conscious of the hypothesis, and I’m not going to remark any additional on that,” Money advised reporters after the sport. “The time without work was as a result of [it was] a time without work.” 

Franco began Sunday’s sport within the Rays’ dugout, then left it within the fifth inning.

He signed an 11-year contract value $182 million in November 2021, a take care of a workforce choice for 2033 that may very well be value $223 million. 

Franco was the No. 1-overall prospect in baseball, per MLB pipeline, earlier than he was referred to as up by the Rays in 2021. 

— With AP