Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop facing sexual abuse charges, was found guilty on Thursday in the Dominican Republic but received a two-year suspended sentence.

Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship.

Franco, 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.

Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and would serve the full sentence.

Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, the main judge orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including testimony from 31 witnesses.

“This is a somewhat complex process,” said Judge Jakayra Veras García.

More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”

As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.

Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.

In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.

While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.

That case is still pending in court.

LONGTIME BIG LEAGUE PITCHER SEGUI DIES

Diego Segui, a pitcher who appeared in the first game in franchise history for the Seattle Pilots and was the starter for the Seattle Mariners in their first game, has died. He was 87.

The Mariners said Segui died Wednesday. No additional details were released.

Segui played for the Pilots in their first game on April 8, 1969, against the California Angels. He was the starter for the Mariners in their opener on April 6, 1977, in the Kingdome against the Angels.

“Our thoughts are with the Segui family, including David, Diego’s son, who the Mariners know well from his time with us in 1998 and 1999,” Mariners president of business operations Kevin Martinez said in a statement. “Diego was always generous with his time, visiting us in Seattle to help us celebrate milestones, including his last trip here for Hispanic Heritage Day in 2012.

“I also have fond memories of Diego’s grandson Cory throwing the final pitch in Kingdome history, a fitting finale for the Kingdome after Diego’s historic first pitch.”

Segui pitched in 15 major league seasons with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Washington Senators, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, in addition to both Seattle franchises.

The 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander from Holguin, Cuba, led the American League in ERA in 1970, and finished his career with a 92-111 record and a 3.81 ERA in 639 games.

After wrapping up his major league career, Segui pitched in the Mexican Professional League until 1984. He is a member of both the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.

In 2024, he was honored by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum with its Negro Leagues Beisbol Lifetime Achievement Award.

WITT JR. WILL RETURN TO WBC

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is going to again play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and next year certainly will have a bigger role than last time.

Witt announced Thursday that he is committed to playing for the United States and manager Mark DeRosa in the 2026 WBC. It will be Witt’s second time on the team.

When part of Team USA in 2023, Witt was 22 and the youngest player on the roster who was coming off a standout rookie MLB season. He was a bench player who went 1 for 2 at the plate.

Judge, who will be the U.S. captain, and Pirates ace Paul Skenes have also committed to play for Team USA next spring.

Witt was the runner-up to Judge in the American League MVP voting last season.

TWINS’ LEWIS SET FOR REHAB STINT

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis will begin a rehab assignment tonight with Triple-A St. Paul, two weeks after he strained his left hamstring.

Lewis was hurt while running out a grounder on June 13 in a game at Houston, a milder recurrence of the same injury he suffered during spring training that cost him the first 35 games of the season.

The first overall pick in the 2017 draft out of JSerra High School was limited to 82 games last season by a severe quadriceps strain he suffered running the bases in the opener and later by a groin injury. The previous two years were limited by recoveries from successive ACL surgeries.

Lewis has played in only 182 regular-season games since making his major league debut in 2022, and this year has been the first time the interruption seems to have affected his production. Lewis is batting just .202 with a .585 OPS and two home runs in 30 games this season.