The Tampa Bay Rays took shortstop Wander Franco off the 40-man roster and placed him on paid administrative leave Thursday as the investigation continues into allegations he had a relationship with a teenage girl. The procedural move was made by agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, and his placement on the list runs through June 1. Franco, 23, ended the 2023 season on administrative leave, placed there Aug. 22 as MLB launched an investigation into social media posts emerged that alleged he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor in his native Dominican Republic.