Rays respond to serious allegations against shortstop Wander Franco

Even though it was Wander Franco snap-back hat giveaway day at Tropicana Field, the Rays gave the shortstop what manager Kevin Cash called a scheduled day off. Though, after starting the game in the dugout, Franco left midway through the contest and was not in the clubhouse postgame. 

"I'm aware of the speculation, and I'm not going to comment any further on that," Cash said via Bally Sports Sun. "But, the day off was because, the day off." 

It's important to note that Franco is facing allegations and has yet to be charged with a crime. 

Franco has emerged as one of the Rays' young stars since making his Major League debut in 2021. The 22-year-old is having arguably the best season of his three-year career. Franco earned his first All-Star nod this year, slashing .281/.344/.475 with 17 home runs and 58 RBI. Before sitting on Sunday, Franco was heating up at the plate, recording 15 hits, three home runs and seven RBI over a seven-game hit streak. 

The Rays have also invested a lot in Franco, inking him to an 11-year, $182 million extension in 2021, the largest deal signed in franchise history. 

While it's only speculation at this point, the allegations against Franco are extremely serious. If found valid, they could have an irreversible impact on Franco's career. There is a limited amount of information about the situation out there, but this certainly won't be the last heard of it while MLB conducts their investigation.