TAMPA, Fla. — Wander Franco feels “confident and optimistic” heading into a new trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor that is set to start Friday in the Dominican Republic, his lawyer said.

The Rays All-Star shortstop, who hasn’t played since August 2023, was found guilty in June and given a two-year suspended sentence, which is similar to probation, but both sides appealed and in December a new trial was ordered. The charges stem from a relationship with a then-14-year-old girl that started in December 2022, when Franco was 21.

Lawyer Teodosio Jáquez Encarnación on Thursday told the Tampa Bay Times that Franco, who in September was admitted to a mental health clinic at his family’s request, was “doing well. He feels confident and optimistic.”

The new trial presents a bit of a gamble for Franco, who turns 25 on March 1.

Though he was found guilty in the first trial, and thus with the conviction faced significant hurdles in being able to resume his major league career (specifically in getting a visa to the United States), he was able to avoid jail time.

As Franco’s lawyers appealed in questioning the validity of the evidence, prosecutors also did in seeking stronger punishment, requesting a five-year prison term.

Encarnación said they have to wait for the case, which took several weeks last time, to again unfold.

“I can’t predict the future, and I can’t cross a bridge before I get to it,” he said. “So I have to wait until (Friday), when it’s scheduled to begin. In the end, the judges are the ones who control the process. When the time comes, everything on my end will be known.”

The outcome of the case is of significant importance to the Rays as they still owe Franco $164 million from the $182 million, 11-year contract he signed in November 2021. (He has not been paid since being placed on the Major League Baseball restricted list when charges were first filed in July 2024.)

If found innocent, and there are no further appeals, Franco’s status could hinge on his ability to get a visa and/or a potential suspension by MLB. If he is cleared to return, the Rays would have to decide whether to welcome him back or pursue other avenues, which could potentially include a negotiated settlement or a trade.

Dominican lawyer and journalist Juan Arturo Recio said in his view, “everything is still up in the air” as the case “essentially goes back to square one.”

A key issue, Recio said, was why the appeals court overturned the sentence and ordered a new trial.

Recio said it was “not because there was something wrong with the charges or the legal process, but because the original court has a standard regarding statements from minors. That standard says those statements are supporting evidence and cannot stand alone. They must be backed up by other evidence to establish guilt.

“In Wander’s case, the minor’s statements were used as the main evidence to convict him. But the court did not explain why it departed from its usual standard. So in reality, the ruling does not clearly give Wander a new advantage.”

The appeals court also ordered a new trial for the girl’s mother, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexual exploitation and money laundering.

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