


Investigators in the Dominican Republic are looking into a second formal complaint against Rays shortstop Wander Franco that he was involved in a relationship with a minor, according to a report from ESPN.
Three girls have accused Franco of having relationships with them as minors, with two formal complaints getting filed, the first of which came on July 17.
The specialized prosecutor’s office for boys, girls and adolescents has been looking into the allegations and spoke with two females already.
A second girl told the special prosecutor that she had a relationship with Franco while she was a minor, and authorities have not spoken to the third girl but are investigating the alleged relationship she had with him, ESPN reported.
The specialized prosecutor’s office for boys, girls and adolescents investigates crimes committed against children and is hoping to speak with Franco in the coming weeks.
Franco has been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 22 and last played on Aug. 12, a day before social media posts claimed that he had an inappropriate relationship with someone under the age of 18.
MLB began to investigate almost immediately, and Franco was quickly put on the restricted list.
Franco has not commented on the investigation but appeared to address the social media posts initially when they first surfaced earlier this month.
In a pregame Instagram Live in the Rays’ clubhouse, he appeared to deny the allegations.
“They say that I’m in public with a little girl, that I’m running around with a minor,” Franco said in the social media video in Spanish. “People don’t know what to do with their time. They don’t know what they’re talking about.
“That’s why I prefer to be on my side and not get involved with anybody … because people gossip and talk smack.”
The Rays have since wiped away any trace of Franco inside the ballpark, and commercials featuring the team edited out highlights of the shortstop.