Vinny Pasquantino Addresses Teammate’s Oversleeping Incident
Vinny Pasquantino recently shared his thoughts after a mishap involving his Royals teammate, Carter Jensen, who overslept and missed the Thursday game, resulting in a 5-1 loss to the Twins. Pasquantino expressed relief about Jensen’s safety and acknowledged that the young catcher, just 22 years old, has a chance to learn from this experience.
“First off, I’m just happy Carter is alright. Initially, we thought it might be a good idea to reach out to his parents, just to make sure everything was fine. Once we confirmed he was okay, it became clear this is a moment for growth,” Pasquantino noted while speaking to reporters post-game.
“He’s still really young. Some mistakes simply can’t happen, and this is one of them. He’ll have to take it on the chin, just like anyone else would. I hope this doesn’t repeat itself. In this game, mistakes come with consequences, and you’ve got to move forward as best you can. I know he feels terrible about it. Let’s just say it wasn’t the best start to our day either. But he’ll learn and hopefully come out a bit stronger. We support him; nobody is upset. These things happen, and hopefully, he invests in a better alarm clock or something,” he added, with a slight smile.
Pasquantino, who joined the Royals in 2022, pointed out the last-minute adjustments veteran catcher Salvador Perez had to make. Despite being set to be the designated hitter for the day, he had to adapt when Jensen’s absence was confirmed.
“You have a guy like Salvi, who is 36, prepared to DH, and suddenly, an hour and a half before the game, he finds out he’s not,” Pasquantino shared. “I really commend Salvi for stepping up and getting us ready.”
Carter Jensen took ownership of the situation, stating that he overslept and that it won’t happen again. “I didn’t wake up to my alarm. No excuses. It just sucks. I felt I let my teammates and coaches down. I’ll learn from this,” he declared.
A third-round pick in 2021, Jensen made his MLB debut last September and played in 20 games, achieving 12 RBIs and 3 home runs.
As of now, Kansas City sits in second place in the AL Central Division, with a record of three wins and three losses. The Royals are set to face the Brewers in a three-game series starting Friday at home.
