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Kansas City Royals rookie catcher Carter Jensen was scratched from the starting lineup against the Minnesota Twins after oversleeping and missing pregame warmups. The 22-year-old took responsibility for the oversight, saying he simply slept through his alarm and felt he let down his teammates and coaches. Manager Matt Quatraro called it an isolated incident, stressing that Jensen is a hard worker with no history of issues.
Why it matters
Oversleeping and missing a game is a common rookie mistake, but it can undermine a player’s standing with the team and damage trust with coaches and teammates. Jensen will need to demonstrate reliability and commitment to his craft to maintain his spot on the major league roster.
The details
Jensen scrambled to the stadium once he woke up, but the decision to scratch him from the lineup had already been made. He ended up appearing in the game in the ninth inning as a catcher, but the Royals lost 5-1. Jensen acknowledged there was “no excuse” for his tardiness and vowed that it won’t happen again, saying he plans to start setting multiple alarms for day games going forward.
- On April 4, 2026, Jensen overslept and missed the Royals’ pregame warmups.
The players
Carter Jensen
A 22-year-old rookie catcher for the Kansas City Royals.
Matt Quatraro
The manager of the Kansas City Royals.
Vinnie Pasquantino
The first baseman for the Kansas City Royals.
What they’re saying
“No running from it. I simply slept through my alarm and feel I let down my teammates and coaches.”
— Carter Jensen, Royals Catcher
“I know it was not his favorite drive to the field this morning, but it wasn’t our favorite morning either, trying to figure out what was going on.”
— Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals First Baseman
What’s next
Jensen has vowed to set multiple alarms for day games going forward to ensure he arrives on time and avoids a repeat of this incident.
The takeaway
This rookie mistake by Carter Jensen serves as a reminder that even small oversights can have big consequences in professional sports. Jensen will need to demonstrate his reliability and commitment to the team to maintain his spot on the major league roster.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source nationaltoday.com ’
