Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco will stand trial on charges that he sexually abused a minor following a judge's ruling Thursday in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Judge Pascual Valenzuela determined that both the accusation and evidence presented by the prosecution had sufficient merits to warrant a trial.
Valenzuela would rule on a verdict at the trial, which does not have a set date yet. Franco was placed on Major League Baseball's restricted list in July, sources had told ESPN, after prosecutors in the Dominican Republic levied three charges against him for an alleged sexual relationship with a then-14-year-old girl.
Franco, 23, had been on administrative leave as part of a deal between MLB and the players' association. The agreement included a provision that administrative leave, during which Franco was paid, would end if he was charged.