It appears that Rays shortstop Wander Franco is missing more than just games during his time on the injured list.
A report from Paula Lavigne and Jeff Passan of ESPN says that the 21-year-old phenom had seven pieces of jewlery worth $650,000 stolen from his car while he was on rehab assignment with the Triple-A Durham Bulls in June.
According to Jacksonville police, 24-year-old Khalil Eugene Mathis is charged with using a wrench to break into Franco’s Rolls-Royce overnight on June 22 while it was parked at the DoubleTree Hotel and took a safe that contained the valuables. Among the items stolen were two gold and diamond chains — one worth $300,000, the other worth $250,000 — along with a platinum and diamond Rolex watch, a 2020 American League championship ring and a Triple-A championship ring from the Durham Bulls, and a pair of gold pendants worth $75,000.
Police say they tracked Mathis after he sold two of the items at a pawn shop, and found the safe at a nearby apartment. The championship rings have been located, but the Rolex and the two chains are still missing.
Mathis is being held on bond of over $900,000.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
