Wander Franco detained, admitted to mental health clinic in DR

Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was detained by police on Tuesday and admitted to a private mental health clinic in his hometown of Baní in the Dominican Republic at the request of his family, a police spokesman said. Authorities emphasized that the admission is not related to any of Franco's pending legal matters, and the 24-year-old remains under the restricted list with Major League Baseball.

Police spokesman Col. Diego Pesqueira said family members asked officers to detain and admit Franco for treatment. The detention followed days after Franco posted on social media alleging that about $16,000 had been stolen from a resort where he was staying. His attorney, Teodosio Jáquez, later described the incident as a "confusion" and said the money had been found, but Franco disputed that account and maintained the funds were stolen.

The clinic admission is the latest development in a series of legal and personal troubles that have sidelined Franco since 2023. In June, a Dominican court found him guilty of sexually abusing a minor and handed him a two-year suspended prison sentence. Prosecutors had sought a five-year term for Franco and a 10-year sentence for the...