Franco was placed on administrative leave Tuesday by Major League Baseball under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
He had been on the restricted list in a mutual agreement between the Rays and the player, but Franco has now been shifted to administrative leave as the league and authorities in the Dominican Republic continue their investigations into his alleged inappropriate relationships with minors. Franco doesn't have a set length for his stay on administrative leave, as MLB can typically extend it on a week-by-week basis until the investigations have been completed. Franco will continue to be paid and accrue service time while on leave.