MLB Player News

Cubs infielder Mike Olt has a new approach at the plate, and the results are starting to show, according to MLB.com on Friday. Olt has homered in back-to-back games, including a grand slam on Thursday. He has four hits in his last 12 at-bats, improving his batting average from .156 to .184 over that span.

"I was being overaggressive, then I was being under-aggressive," Olt said. "I was kind of in-between, I wasn't committing myself to my approach, so I just kind of stood back and relaxed. And when I go out there and I have that approach, I stick with it, instead of being indecisive."

Cubs infielder Mike Olt homered for the second game in a row Thursday, in a 12-5 win over the White Sox.

Olt was 2 for 4 in the game, with the big blow coming on an eighth-inning grand slam. He scored just once, while adding a strikeout as well.

Olt continues to have contact issues, but now has six home runs in 28 games. He has also drive in 16 runs and scored nine in 76 at-bats, while striking out 28 times. 

Cubs third baseman Mike Olt hit a solo home run during Wednesday's 8-3 loss against the White Sox, snapping a streak of 10 games without a home run. It was his fifth home run.

Olt has homered three times in his last 15 games (12 starts), but he is not hitting well over that stretch, batting .130 (6 for 46). His three other hits in his last 15 games have been singles. Olt also has 21 strikeouts and seven RBI since April 16.

The Rockies got a strong performance from the No. 9 spot in the batting order Wednesday, as DJ LeMahieu went 3 for 3 in a 9-2 win over the Rangers.

LeMahieu, who had just three hits in his previous seven games, had a pair of singles and one triple in three at-bats Wednesday. He also closed the game out with a hit-by-pitch, reaching base all four times and scoring twice, while driving in one run.

LeMahieu is now hitting .294/.365/.353 in 102 at-bats on the season. 

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado did not wait long to extend his hitting streak to a franchise-record 27 games Wednesday, in a 9-2 win over the Rangers.

 Arenado opened the game with a two-run double in the first inning to extend his streak, after waiting until the seventh inning the previous night. He added a couple of insurance hits, as he finished the game 3 for 5 with two RBI.

Arenado is off to a great start, and is now hitting .324/.346/.535 with six home runs and 26 RBI in 36 games. 

The Padres optioned infielder Jace Peterson to Triple-A El Paso Wednesday. Peterson hit .174 with six strikeouts and two stolen bases in 10 games for San Diego.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado extended his hitting streak to 26 games Tuesday in dramatic fashion. Arenado had a double that landed squarely on the white left-field line in his last at-bat in the seventh inning to keep his hitting streak going.

"It was a clutch at-bat," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said after the 12-1 win. "I know the scoreboard wouldn’t say that, but for Nolan to extend a hitting streak in his last at-bat, we’re happy for him. A 26-game hitting streak is quite an accomplishment."

Arenado is one game away from tying the team record of 27 set by Michael Cuddyer last season. It's also the longest for anyone 23 years or younger since Albert Pujols hit in 30 straight games in 2003.

Phillies third baseman Cody Asche had a night to remember Tuesday, going 4 for 4 with a double and a grand slam in his team's 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays.

Asche opened the season on the last day of March by going 3 for 4 with a home run and four runs, but it was pretty much downhill after that before his big performance Tuesday. He has hit .257/.321/.446 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 74 at-bats.

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon went 1 for 3 with a walk and a two-run home run in his team's 4-0 win over the Dodgers Monday.

Rendon put the Nationals on the board immediately, smacking a first-inning home run after leadoff man Denard Span reached base on a double. Rendon has hit .292/.331/.515 with five home runs and 23 RBI in 130 at-bats.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez was 2 for 7 with a home run, two runs and four RBI in his team's 11-10, 13-inning loss to the Giants Monday.

Alvarez smacked a three-run home run in the second inning to give his team a 4-2 lead, which they extended to 8-2 in the fifth on a rally started by Alvarez's RBI single. However, the Giants battled back to 8-7 before tying the game up at 9-9 in the seventh inning and again at 10-10 in the ninth, then taking home a victory in extra innings. Alvarez has hit .215/.317/.430 with eight home runs and 22 RBI in 121 at-bats.