Dominican baseball player Wander Franco fails to appear at prosecutor’s office amid investigation

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco failed to show up Thursday for a meeting with a prosecutor who is investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor.

Prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías said the investigation will continue regardless of Franco’s no-show. She waited for the All-Star player and his lawyers at her office, but they didn’t appear.

Dominican prosecutors and police showed up on Tuesday at a Franco property in Baní, his hometown about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Santo Domingo. They did not find the 22-year-old player to request he appear for testimony.

The Dominican Republic’s prosecutors’ office said on Aug. 14 that Franco was under investigation because of postings on his social media channels suggesting he had a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts.

Franco’s no-show could be because his current lawyers may not have been summoned for the meeting. The AP had access to a document in which lawyers Luz Díaz Rodríguez, Rosalina Trueba, Cristian Cabrera and Manuel Rodríguez were dismissed by Franco.

Franco was suspended by Major League Baseball in August as the investigation started in his country. He will be paid and receive service time while on administrative leave under an agreement with the players’ association. There is no set timetable for a decision on whether he will be disciplined by MLB.

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