The trial of baseball player Wander Franco for sexual abuse of a minor is postponed until Thursday.

Santo Domingo, June 2 (EFE).- The Collegiate Court of the Judicial District of Puerto Plata postponed until next Thursday the trial on the merits that began this Monday against Major League player Wander Franco accused of sexual abuse of a teenager. The trial began this Monday in Puerto Plata, in a case in which the minor’s mother is also being tried for alleged exploitation of her daughter and money laundering.

After several hours of hearing, the appointment was postponed by the Court, which immediately summoned those involved and the witnesses for Friday the 6th and Monday the 9th, when the trial could conclude.

At the end of today’s hearing, Franco’s lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, told the press that “there is no binding evidence” against his client, and assured that the minor “has said at all times that she did not have sexual relations” with the baseball player.

The trial will determine whether the Tampa Bay Rays baseball player, who is on administrative leave from the club, committed those acts when the minor was 14 years old.

Last December, Dominican justice postponed the start of the trial, with the aim that several witnesses appear at it.

According to the Public Ministry, Wander Samuel Franco Aybar kidnapped the victim for sexual purposes for several days in the municipality of Villa Montellano, in the province of Puerto Plata.

Then he sent large sums to his mother, Marta Vanesa Chevalier, to prevent her from reporting him, money that she used to acquire movable and immovable property.

If found guilty, Franco could be sentenced to a prison term of between 10 and 15 years, as could the young woman’s mother.

The shortstop debuted in the Major Leagues in the 2021 season. In 1,037 at-bats, he has hit 292 hits, including 30 home runs, 61 doubles, 14 triples, driving in 130 runs and scoring 164. His average in three seasons is .282.

In November 2021, Franco and Tampa Bay announced an 11-year, $182 million deal that includes a team option for the 2033 season.

The agreement with the Dominican player could be worth up to 223 million if the club exercises its option and reaches the incentives.

The baseball player was unable to play the Major League season with the Tampa Bay Rays, who placed him on administrative leave last June, which is why they have stopped paying his salary.