By Ronald Blum
Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave indefinitely by Major League Baseball on Tuesday while authorities in the Dominican Republic investigate the All-Star shortstop for an alleged relationship with a minor.
The 22-year-old will be paid and receive service time while on administrative leave under an agreement with the players' association that did not set a timetable for a decision on whether he will be disciplined.
Franco was placed on the restricted list for a week on Aug. 14 while MLB launched an investigation following social media posts suggesting he was in a relationship with a minor. The AP has not been able to verify the reported posts.
MLB said the shift to administrative leave was not disciplinary under the sport’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. The administrative leave did not have the usual seven-day limit under the policy, so it is possible Franco will not return this season.
Ángel Darío Tejeda Fabal, a prosecutor in the Dominican Republic province of Peravia, said last week an investigation into Franco was open under a division specializing in minors and gender violence.
MLB is likely to wait until that investigation is concluded before deciding whether there will be any discipline, a person familiar with the probe told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that was not announced.
Franco was held out of the Rays' lineup on Aug. 13 in what manager Kevin Cash said was a day off, then missed a six-game West Coast trip while on the restricted list. The Rays issued a statement Tuesday supporting the administrative leave decision.
MLB and the union agreed to the joint domestic violence policy in 2015. A player continues to receive pay and accrue major league service while on administrative leave.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer was on administrative leave from July 2, 2021, until the following April 29, when he was suspended for 324 games. The penalty was reduced by an arbitrator to 194 games. Bauer was accused of assault, an accusation he has repeatedly denied.
Franco has salaries of $2 million this season and next as part of a $182 million, 11-year contract that started in 2022.
He is in his third big league season and is hitting .281 with 17 homers, 58 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 40 attempts over 112 games.
Eighteen players have been disciplined by MLB under the domestic violence policy. The latest was New York Yankees pitcher Jimmy Cordero, who agreed on July 5 to a suspension for the final 76 games of the season.
People are spending less time on Facebook, according to the company's latest earnings report. Twitter doubles the number of users who interacted with Russian-linked trolls. And eBay is parting ways with longtime partner PayPal in favor of Dutch payment processing company Adyen. Plus, we bring you a full hour on the Business of Sports heading into Super Bowl weekend.
Amee Shah, Group Creative Director for Droga5, discusses the business of Super Bowl commercials and why the ad space is so valuable. Droga5 is producing Sprint's big game ad this year.
AJ Perez, sports reporter for USA Today, discusses FOX's huge deal with the NFL and the quarterback trade shaking up the industry. FOX will pay the NFL $3 billion over the next five years for the right to broadcast Thursday Night Football games.
Brad Smith sits down with the San Francisco 49ers President Al Guido to discuss his new venture, how the 49ers are taking advantage of being in Silicon Valley, and declining NFL viewership.
The New York Times debuted a new ad spotlighting its investigations and coverage of the impact of brain injuries to football and other sports. Jason Stallman, Sports Editor at The New York Times, joins Cheddar on a special episode of "The Business of Sports" to discuss what he's seeing in the push for more safety concerns.
Viewership for NFL games is down by double digits this season. Al Guido, president of the San Francisco 49ers, says the league needs to do a better job adapting to the changing media landscape.
"Total Divas" is celebrating 100 episodes of high heels, high stakes, and high drama on its seventh season finale. Stars Lana and Nattie join Cheddar to discuss what to expect from the milestone installment.
Ben Leber, former NFL star linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, and Nate Bauer, Best Buy's Geek Squad Chief Inspector, give their tips for making your sunday super.
The Washington Post broke the story that GPS tracking and fitness company Strava had revealed the locations of secret U.S. Military bases. Now, Rosie Spinks, reporter at Quartz, joins Cheddar to explain how and why she has been focusing on the privacy issues around Strava since this summer.
Amazon is joining forces with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase to bring their employees better and cheaper healthcare. EasyJet's CEO is giving himself a pay cut to match the salary of his female predecessor. Actor Jeff Hiller joins us to discuss stepping into a critically-acclaimed off-Broadway solo show already in progress. Plus, we talk to Chat Sports about the Cleveland Indians' decision to do away with their controversial logo.
