Royals Rookie Misses Game After Sleeping Through Alarm Clock
Carter Jensen was not injured or in trouble but was still in bed while his teammates were stretching.
The Kansas City Royals found themselves in a bizarre situation this week that proves even pro athletes are not immune to the snooze button.
Carter Jensen, the touted 22-year-old rookie catcher, was a late scratch from the lineup for the series finale against the Minnesota Twins. And in a sport where a late scratch usually signals injury or a trade, the real reason was far more mundane: Jensen slept through his alarm.
Carter Jensen of the Kansas City Royals. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The Royals scrambled just before first pitch. Salvador Perez, the soul of the franchise, moved from designated hitter back behind the plate. The team briefly panicked and even reached out to Jensen’s parents before the truth emerged.
Jensen was not injured or in trouble but was still in bed while his teammates were stretching.
"First and foremost, I'm glad Carter's OK," Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. "Once you find out he's OK, it's a growing moment. He's really young."
To his credit, Jensen did not hide behind an agent or a fake illness. He faced the media and admitted he panicked when he woke up.
Jensen admitted he failed at the most basic part of his job.
Showing up on time.
"There are some things that cannot happen, and that's one of them," Pasquantino added.
"You can't afford mistakes like that in this game."
Jensen hit .300 with three home runs and 13 RBI in a 20-game MLB debut last September. Through the opening stretch of 2026, he is hitting around .100 with one home run and two RBI.
Lucas Erceg and Carter Jensen of the Kansas City Royals react following the Royals 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on March 29, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The Royals lost 5-1, but manager Matt Quatraro is ready to move on.
He called Jensen a hard worker and a stand-up guy who made a mistake. It was a lapse in discipline that led to public embarrassment. Jensen says he will set a million alarms going forward.
"He'll learn from it. We're here for him. It's not like anybody's mad at him," Pasquantino said.
"Maybe get another alarm clock or something."
Next time, the Royals expect him awake, alert and in the dugout for the anthem.
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