Former Rays SS Wander Franco’s appeal gets significant update

Former Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco lost his appeal in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, with an appellate court upholding his conviction for sexual abuse of a minor and imposing a three-year suspended prison sentence. The ruling, first reported by Dominican journalist Luis Tomas Rae Barett, leaves Franco’s guilty verdict intact while adding a punishment that had been waived had been waived following his second trial in May, according to Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Topkin. Franco, 25, has not played in the major leagues since August 2023.