Royals Top Prospect Carter Jensen Scratched From Lineup for Unusual Reason

It's not uncommon for major league players to get removed from the lineup somewhat close to the start of a game every once in a while. But the Kansas City Royals had an unexpected explanation for why top prospect Carter Jensen didn't start on Thursday.

Jensen, MLB Pipeline's No. 16 overall prospect for 2026, was scratched from the Royals' lineup due to oversleeping, Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said after Thursday's game, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. The 22-year-old was initially set to catch for the Royals and allow veteran backstop Salvador Perez to serve as the designated hitter after catching on Wednesday night. But Jensen slept through his alarm and didn't arrive at the field early enough to remain in the starting lineup, forcing Perez behind the plate during the day game after a night game.

Kansas City first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was brutally honest about the situation, saying post-game that "it can't happen" and the rookie has to "learn from mistakes like that." But he also added a playful jab by suggesting Jensen should "maybe get another alarm clock or something."

How has Royals prospect Carter Jensen played so far this year?

Mar 29, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (22) drives in a run with a sacrifice fly against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The first week of the 2026 season has likely been mostly forgettable for Jensen, even before Thursday's oversleeping incident. Through his first five games of the season, the young catcher is 2-for-16 at the plate. While one of those two hits was a home run, the 2021 third-round draft pick also has eight strikeouts in 18 plate appearances so far this year.

Those numbers come from an incredibly small sample size, though. Jensen saw much more success in his first major league stint last year, when he had 18 hits and three homers in 20 games played. He also had just 12 strikeouts in his 69 big league plate appearances in 2025.

The good news for Jensen is that he's the only catcher besides Perez on the Royals' roster right now. But the bad news is that if the lefty-swinging slugger doesn't heat up at the plate soon, his opportunity to earn regular at-bats as the DH may start to dwindle. It's still early in the season, though, and Jensen is expected to be a big part of Kansas City's future. So, the young catcher might need to simply put Thursday's incident and the first few games of the season in the rear-view mirror and look ahead to the Royals' upcoming weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers.