By Ed White
May 25 (Reuters) – Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco will not serve jail time after a Dominican Republic court on Monday gave him a suspended sentence for sexually abusing a minor, in a case tried in the Caribbean nation where the abuse took place.
Judge Jose Ramon Nunez said the leniency was granted due to the “particular circumstances” of the case.
The victim’s mother was also found guilty after being charged with trafficking the minor to Franco and extorting money from him.
Franco, a former Major League Baseball All-Star with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023, had been convicted in June 2025, but that ruling was overturned and a retrial ordered.
Leaving court, Franco asked his fans “to please continue supporting me and trust God, that soon, through God’s faith, we are heading up again.”
The abuse was said to have begun in December 2022, when Franco was 21 and the victim 14, and lasted about four months.
Franco, who is Dominican, rose to prominence with the Tampa Bay Rays and was named an All-Star in 2023.
He signed a $182 million contract with the Rays in 2021 and was widely seen as one of the sport’s brightest young talents before the allegations became public in August 2023.
Franco has been on leave without pay, with the Rays saying he has failed to report to the team in Florida.
The Rays said on Monday they respected the legal process and the court’s decision and would continue to work with Major League Baseball’s abuse policy organization. The team did not say whether it would maintain its relationship with Franco.
The ruling can be appealed, and the full reasoning has not been released. Franco’s lawyer said they would wait for the details before determining next steps.
(Reporting by Ed White; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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