Ya snooze, ya lose: Royals catcher held out of lineup for relatable reason

Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen was a late scratch from the lineup Thursday afternoon. The reason is something everyone can relate to.

Anne Rogers from MLB.com reported that Carter was held out of the lineup because he overslept. Carter took full responsibility, saying that he felt that he let everyone down and that it will not happen again.

Carter has primarily been in the lineup as the Royals designated hitter, getting one game behind the plate to give franchise icon Salvador Perez a partial day off. He has just two hits, including a home run, in his 18 plate appearances, striking out eight times while drawing a walk.

Carter Jensen expected to be key part of Kansas City Royals' future

Regarded as the Royals' top prospect, and the top catching prospect in baseball by MLB.com, Jensen has been lauded for his excellent batting eye, ability to make contact and plus power. While his defense is considered a work in progress, he has a plus arm and impressive reaction time behind the plate.

Jensen showed his potential during his major league debut in 2025. He posted an impressive .300/.391/.550 batting line in his 69 plate appearances, hitting three homers and six doubles. That performance was enough for the Royals to make Jensen part of the Opening Day roster, easing into the catcher role as he learns from Perez.

There will be growing pains for the 22-year-old Jensen as he acclimates to the majors. However, there is one mistake he likely will not make again — oversleeping to the point where he was removed from the lineup.