MLB Player News

Franco was arrested by authorities in the Dominican Republic on Monday, Enrique Rojas and Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN.com report.

The arrest is due to the fact that Franco failed to appear at a summons last week. Franco appeared voluntarily Monday with his new lawyers as he was questioned regarding allegedly having had a relationship with a minor. The 22-year-old will be presented before a judge within 48 hours of his arrest and in the meantime will remain in the custody of the Puerto Plata Prosecutor's Office. In addition to being investigated by police in the Dominican Republic, Franco is also being investigated by Major League Baseball.

Franco met with authorities in the Dominican Republic on Monday, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He no-showed after a summons last week, but evidently that was because Franco had fired his former lawyers and they were unable to present the summons to the shortstop. Franco has since hired new representation and they were present at Monday's meeting. The 22-year-old is being investigated by police in the Dominican Republic and Major League Baseball for alleged inappropriate relationships with minors.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Saturday that the team views Grissom as its everyday second baseman, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Grissom is also capable of playing shortstop and third base and was used some in left field during winter ball this offseason. However, the Red Sox have a clear opening at the keystone, which is where they plan to use the youngster after acquiring him from Atlanta. With Grissom around, Enmanuel Valdez now appears pegged for a reserve role or perhaps a trip back to Triple-A Worcester.

Atlanta traded Grissom to the Red Sox on Saturday in exchange for Chris Sale and cash considerations, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Grissom has shown plenty of upside at the plate to begin his MLB career, slashing .287/.339/.407 with five homers and 27 RBI across 236 plate appearances. However, defensive struggles and a myriad of talent on Atlanta's roster kept Grissom from seeing consistent playing time. Now in Boston, the 22-year-old infielder will have a clearer path to regular at-bats, though he may receive competition from Enmanuel Valdez.

Franco failed to respond to a summons filed in the Dominican Republic to address allegations that he had inappropriate relationships with minors, Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN.com reports.

Franco had been summoned by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents for questioning Thursday morning. At least two people have filed legal action against the Rays shortstop and, according to Recio, Franco is also under investigation for an alleged third relationship with a minor. Additionally, the Associated Press has reported that he recently fired his legal team. To this point, no criminal charges have been filed against Franco. Even if that remains the case, he is likely facing a suspension from Major League Baseball.

Franco was summoned by police in the Dominican Republic for questioning Thursday, Enrique Rojas and Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN Deportes report.

The summons came after authorities unsuccessfully searched for the 22-year-old at his two homes in the D.R. on Tuesday. Franco is under investigation by police and Major League Baseball for alleged inappropriate relationships with minors. He was on the restricted list from Aug. 12 through the end of the regular season before being reinstated last month in a procedural move. Whether Franco is ultimately charged criminally remains up in the air, but he is likely facing a lengthy suspension from MLB regardless.

Castillo was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks on Friday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The move was made in order to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for the return of Lourdes Gurriel. Castillo received just one plate appearance with Arizona in 2023 but slashed .313/.431/.410 at Triple-A Reno. As a 26-year-old with defensive versatility, Castillo could draw some interest on waivers.

The Yankees claimed Downs off waivers from the Nationals on Tuesday.

Downs had been designated for assignment a week ago and now has landed in his third organization over the last year. The 25-year-old was considered a top-100 prospect when he was acquired by the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts trade, but Downs has slashed just .202/.306/.370 at the Triple-A level.

Fletcher was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett by Atlanta on Wednesday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Given the $15.5 million left on his contract, Fletcher was easily going to pass through waivers. It's still possible that he claims a utility infielder job with Atlanta, but now the club will have a bit more 40-man roster flexibility. Fletcher has slashed just .259/.296/.327 in 251 major-league games since the beginning of the 2021 season.

Downs was designated for assignment by the Nationals on Tuesday.

The Nats needed to clear out 40-man roster space in order to finalize their one-year agreements with both Nick Senzel and Dylan Floro. Downs ranked as a top-100 prospect a few years ago, but he's slashed just .182/.260/.273 in 50 career plate appearances at the major-league level and posted an underwhelming .236/.358/.379 batting line across 51 games last season with Triple-A Rochester.