Wander Franco ordered to stand trial in sexual abuse case

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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…