Carter Jensen slugs leadoff home run in loss

The Royals were blanked by the Blue Jays here despite Jensen reaching base three times out of the lead-off spot. He’s had a disappointing season with just a .222 batting average and .305 on-base percentage as the Royals have given him fewer chances atop their order lately.

Jensen drew a walk in the bottom of the first inning and eventually came around to score on an RBI double by Isaac Collins. In the sixth inning, Jensen would send a solo homer into deep left field to give the Royals their second run of the night, as he wound up being responsible for each of the first two runs the Royals would score on the evening. Jensen continues to do a nice job drawing walks, as he’s now totaled six walks in his last eight games, but he’s managed only four hits over that span and is slashing just .148/.270/.333 in his last 15 games.

Jensen’s solo shot represented the Royals’ lone run in an unexpected pitcher’s duel at Coors Field. Nevertheless, it was an impressive shot that traveled an estimated 424 feet showing off Jensen’s massive raw power. He’s been mired in a prolonged slump now though with just a .216 batting average and .289 on-base percentage over his last 30 games.

Pasquantino and Carter Jensen will both get a breather on Sunday afternoon with left-hander Framber Valdez on the bump for the Tigers. Salvador Perez will cover first base in his place while Luke Maile draws a start behind the dish and will bat eighth for the Royals.

Jensen launched a 416-foot blast off Tyler Mahle that left the bat at 106.7 mph and was the hardest-hit ball of the night. The rookie now has 14 home runs and 52 RBI on the season and has been swinging a hot bat over the summer. He came into Tuesday’s game hitting .289/.353/.504 over his last 30 games with five home runs, 16 runs scored, and 20 RBI. He’s certainly worth rostering in most fantasy formats.

Baseball is a funny game. After the Padres put up three runs in the top of the 10th, the Royals rallied for four in the bottom of the inning on four weakly hit balls that all barely left the infield. Jensen got the biggest of those to walk it off, and he himself had an odd game. He smoked two doubles a bit earlier – including one off Mason Miller – but a knubber through the hole won it. It’s been a very hot month for him overall with five home runs and an .856 OPS over his last 30 games.

With a day game after a night game and a left-handed pitcher on the mound, the Royals will leave their talented rookie on the bench on Thursday. While Jensen is not in a strict platoon, the Royals do tend to find days off for him against left-handed pitching, which dampens his fantasy ceiling a bit. He is still worth rostering in one catcher formats given his recent performances. Starling Marte will DH on Thursday with Salvador Perez catching.

It doesn’t sound like anything serious, but the Royals did add Luke Maile to the roster on Thursday as an insurance policy. Perez is having a disappointing season at the dish, slashing just .201/.241/.327 with 10 homers and 30 RBI in 340 plate appearances. Carter Jensen is behind the dish and batting leadoff for the Royals while Starling Marte functions as the team’s designated hitter against Rays’ left-hander Ian Seymour on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Jensen bookended the scoring for the Royals in the victory. He singled home Lane Thomas in the first inning, and the rookie backstop/outfielder doubled in the go-ahead run in the fourth. Jensen has done a solid job in his first full MLB campaign with a .251/.317/.438 slash over the first 84 games, but it does feel like he’s due for a big power push in the coming weeks — if not sooner

In true lead-off hitter fashion, Jensen started this game off with a single and then walked with one out to ignite the Royals’ two-run rally in the fifth inning. Despite a disappointing season power-wise thus far with just 10 home runs, Jensen has carved out a nice role for himself out of the lead-off spot for the past month.