Rays’ Wander Franco to stand trial in sexual abuse case amid MLB furlough | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

Dominican Republican Judge Pascual Valenzuela ruled Thursday that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco will stand trial on charges of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a minor and human trafficking, according to ESPN’s Juan Arturo Recio.

The trial does not yet have a date.

According to that report, Judge Valenzuela opined that both the nature of the charge and the evidence presented by the prosecutor were sufficient to warrant a trial. Franco faces a prison sentence of up to twenty years.

The Rays shortstop is also under investigation by Major League Baseball for possible violations of its domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policies. That investigation likely won’t be completed until Franco’s legal proceedings end.

MLB and the MLBPA had initially come to an agreement on paid administrative leave while the legal proceedings played out, with the addendum that his paid leave would end if he was formally charged. When that occurred in early July, the Rays requested that he be placed on the restricted list because he could not report to the team because the terms of his bail agreement prevented him from leaving the Dominican Republic.

On the restricted list, Franco will not be paid or receive any MLB service time.

“We are aware of the charges against Mr. Franco,” MLB said in a statement in early July. “Our investigation remains open and we will continue to closely monitor the case as it develops.”

Franco, 23, is accused of starting a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl when he was 21, paying her mother $1,700 a month and giving her a car in exchange for allegedly facilitating the arrangement.