Wander Franco Update: Rays shortstop reportedly goes missing as Santo Domingo authorities carry out 2 home raids

On Tuesday, the Santo Domingo Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents carried out two raids in search of Wander Franco. The two raids happened at homes in Bani, Peravia Province.

Franco was not found in either of the homes during the raids. This comes weeks after the Dominican infielder earned $700,000 from the MLB's prearbitration bonus pool.

The 22-year-old was having a stellar 2023 season until being placed on administrative leave in August. Authorities in the DR investigated claims that Franco had been in a relationship with a minor. The allegations surfaced across social media, prompting the league to investigate.

Two girls have raised concerns involving an alleged inappropriate relationship with the slugger. One took to social media, alleging a relationship with Wander Franco, while the other went to the police.

The Dominican Republic has a strict law prohibiting adults from having sexual contact with persons under the age of 18. Any person found guilty of having any sexual contact with a person under 18 will be prosecuted.

This does not look good for Wander Franco

Philadelphia Phillies v Tampa Bay Rays

While on the brink of making a name for himself in the big leagues, Wander Franco's future is now uncertain. Now that he has gone missing, there is no telling what could come from this.

The Tampa Bay Rays must hold their breath on Franco's return. It will likely be a year of Isaac Paredes handling the bulk of the shortstop duties for the 2024 season.

However, Paredes is more than capable of handling his own. He appeared in 143 games for the Rays, hitting .250/.352/.488 with a career-high 31 home runs and 98 RBIs.

He has found his stride after two seasons with the Detroit Tigers and must continue that trend if he wants to make the Rays contenders.