Wander Franco Detained By Dominican Authorities on 'Mental Health Situation'

Wander Franco, the former top prospect in baseball, and one-time Tampa Bay Rays phenom, is already persona non grata in MLB, but his troubles grew on Tuesday.

He was taken by authorities in the Dominican Republic to a private 'health clinic'. The DR's national police referred to the situation as "mental health" related.

Wander Franco was taken by authorities to a private health clinic in his native Dominican Republic, authorities announced early Tuesday morning after what the country’s national police referred to as a “mental health situation.”

Franco, who was convicted by a Dominican court… pic.twitter.com/7LXZiyiwh1
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 9, 2025

According to Maria Torres in The Athletic, Franco had an 'interaction' with police, "part of which was captured on video and shared to a wider audience via Franco’s Instagram live.

"Franco was not facing any charges stemming from the matter."

The police were called to the former shortstop's home by his father, who was concerned about his son.

Franco was convicted in June on a sexual abuse charge in the Dominican

Franco was convicted by a Dominican court earlier this year for sexual abuse of a minor, and given a two-year suspended sentence without jail time, if he met conditions which included not approaching minors for sexual purposes.

He had signed a $182 million contract with Tampa Bay in 2021. He's been out of the majors for over two full years since the original troubles surfaced.

He was placed on the restricted list in July of last season, and has not been paid by the Rays since then.