Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who is awaiting trial after being charged with sexually abusing a minor, was arrested Monday in the Dominican Republic after an incident in which guns were drawn, according to ESPN.
Franco, 23, was involved in a dispute in the parking lot of an apartment complex in San Juan de la Maguana on Sunday.
Franco and an unnamed woman are being held for questioning by local authorities as of Monday afternoon.
Investigations were launched against Franco in 2023 after a formal complaint was filed in July alleging an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
In July 2024, Franco was officially charged with sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and human trafficking of a minor, leading Major League Baseball to place him on the restricted list.
He is due to stand trial on that case in December and Sunday’s incident is believed to be unrelated.
According to Dominican police, Franco was not allowed to leave the country as he awaited court proceedings on the former case, but was legally allowed to carry a gun.
In accordance with Dominican law, his possession of the gun is contingent on having a license and the firearm being registered.
Franco is under contract with the Tampa Bay Rays through at least 2032, his age-31 season.
In 2021, 70 games into his major-league career, the franchise signed him to an 11-year, $182 million contract extension.
Franco, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 and earned his first All Star bid in 2023, did not play in 2024 because of his legal issues.
