Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco placed on paid administration leave

The GIST: MLB placed Tampa Bay Rays sensation Wander Franco on paid administrative leave yesterday while the investigation into allegations that he had a relationship with at least one underage girl continues. Horrifying.

The details: Earlier this month, social media posts surfaced alleging that the 22-year-old shortstop and 2023 All-Star had a relationship with a minor. Franco did not travel with the team on their road trip the day after the allegations went viral and has not seen the field since.

• What’s more, while Franco was expected to be the face of the franchise for years to come, the organization is now removing all signage featuring the shortstop from their home park, Tropicana Field.

• Plus, MLB isn’t the only entity investigating the matter. Authorities in the Dominican Republic, where Franco is from and the alleged relationship reportedly took place, have also launched their own investigation.

What’s next: Likely a lengthy wait. Previous investigations under MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy have taken months to be resolved. And from there, the punishment can vary — MLB has suspended 18 players since adopting the policy in 2015, and those suspensions ranged anywhere from 15 to 324 games.

• But it’s safe to assume Franco’s will be on the longer side, with one report suggesting he may never play in the majors again.