MLB fans demand action against Wander Franco as social media rumors circulate: "Lock him up"

Allegations against Wander Franco have taken the world of baseball by storm. It is alleged that the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop has been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Because of the allegations, he is said to have not traveled with the team for their series against the San Francisco Giants.

Wander Franco has had a solid run in the MLB so far. The Rays infielder was previously baseball's No. 1 prospect before the team called him to the main roster. Throughout his run since 2021, Franco has been batting at an average of .280 and made his first AL All-Star appearance this summer.

During the Rays' 9-2 loss against the Cleveland Guardians, posts on X circulated regarding the 22-year-old. The now-deleted posts detailed his alleged involvement with a minor. The shortstop was absent from the lineup on the day, although manager Kevin Cash explained that it was an intended rest day for the player:

“I’m aware of the speculation, and I’m not going to comment any further on that,” Cash told reporters after the game. “The day off was because [it was] a day off.”

Quite expectedly, fans on social media have been disgusted ever since the allegations came up:

Twitter reacts

Twitter reacts

Twitter reacts

Tampa Bay Rays release an official statement regarding Wander Franco

The Rays' management released an official statement after the game stating that it is working closely with the MLB to solve the crisis as soon as possible:

“During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco,” the Rays said in a statement. “We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence.”

Wander Franco's All-Star season has been quite important in the context of where the Rays lie in the standings. The infielder has been slashing .281/.344/.475 with 58 RBIs and 17 homers. If the speculation is true, he is in danger of losing out on the 11-year, $182 million contract he signed with the team.