KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) 鈥� Kansas City catcher Carter Jensen was removed from the Royals鈥� starting lineup for Thursday game with the Minnesota Twins after he overslept.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 wake up to my alarm. Slept through it,” Jensen told The Kansas City Star and other outlets. “Don鈥檛 really have an excuse 鈥� nor should I. It sucks. It happens. I feel like I let teammates down, coaches down. Just learn from it and just know it won鈥檛 happen again.鈥�
Jensen eventually arrived, but not early enough to prepare adequately to start the game. He did end up coming in as Kansas City鈥檚 catcher in the ninth inning of the Royals’
Salvador Perez, who was expecting to be Kansas City鈥檚 designated hitter Thursday, ended up catching the first eight innings.
鈥淔irst and foremost, I鈥檓 glad Carter鈥檚 OK,鈥� Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino told reporters. 鈥淚 mean, that was kind of the initial thought when you鈥檙e trying to get a hold of his parents and everything like that 鈥� just make sure he鈥檚 OK.鈥�
Pasquantino said Jensen, a 22-year-old rookie, needs to learn from this experience.
鈥淭here are some things that cannot happen, and that鈥檚 one of them,鈥� Pasquantino said. 鈥淪o he鈥檚 going to have to wear it on the chin 鈥� same way anybody would have to. It can鈥檛 happen, and hopefully it doesn鈥檛 happen again. But it鈥檚 one of those things that you just can鈥檛 afford mistakes like that in this game. Just got to move forward the best that he can. I know he feels really bad.
鈥淚 know it was not his favorite drive to the field this morning, but it wasn鈥檛 our favorite morning either, trying to figure out what was going on. He鈥檒l learn from it, grow a little bit. We鈥檙e here for him, though. It鈥檚 not like anybody鈥檚 mad at him. Things happen. But you鈥檝e got to learn from mistakes like that 鈥� and maybe get another alarm clock or something.鈥�
___
AP MLB:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
