Rays accidentally include Wander Franco jersey in new stadium model

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been quietly removed from the team this summer, but the Rays haven't managed to get rid of him altogether.

The Rays recently released new renderings of their future home stadium, which is expected to be built by 2028, and one discerning fan caught a little goof.

Among the crowds of what appear to be AI-generated Rays fans, a woman wearing a Wander Franco jersey can be spotted on the right side of the images. In all likelihood, these pictures were probably created before Wander Franco landed in hot water and became embroiled in allegations of relationships with underage girls.

Still, it's always good to look over the final product at least once before putting it out there for the world to see.

In their efforts to boost revenue and improve the overall fan experience, the Rays have struck a deal with the city of St. Petersburgh to build a new stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District. The domed ballpark will seat around 30,000 fans and will serve as the Rays' home after their lease at Tropicana Field ends in 2027.

Where's Wander? Rays' new ballpark images accidentally display jersey of persona non grata

The good news is that the Rays are staying in Florida after all. The bad news is that their PR team is clearly slacking.

Wander Franco, the Rays' All-Star shortstop, was placed on administrative leave in late August following allegations that Franco was in multiple relationships with underage girls. The 22-year-old is currently being investigated by Dominican police as well as the MLB for any possible wrongdoing and will remain out of the league at least until the investigation is complete.

Franco's chasm with the Rays franchise started when social media posts started popping up alluding to Franco's inappropriate relationships with girls in the Dominican Republic who were underage (younger than 18). This led to questions about whether Franco had violated the league's domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy; at the time of this writing, no violations have been found and the case is still ongoing.

If found guilty, Franco is subject to severe disciplinary measures including suspension. As such, the Rays are slowly phasing him out as they try to open a new chapter for their franchise with the anticipated construction of the new St. Petersburg stadium.