MLB Player News

At the beginning of the season, Rangers infield prospect Mike Olt was a prime minor-league stash candidate. A top prospect who has shown the willingness to play all over the field to get his bat in the lineup, Olt seemed like a great bet to make an impact at the major-league level before long. Whether by trade or injury, it looked like we would see Olt again before long as he seemed intent on forcing his way into the lineup.

Unfortunately, Olt is batting just .139 with one home run at Triple-A Round Rock, and he has already struck out in 32 of his 72 at-bats. Olt's extended slump to begin the season has the Rangers so baffled that he has been placed on the disabled list until they can find the source of his issues. Right now, the team is targeting his eyesight as the source, but visits with specialists have yet to find anything.

Olt entered the season ranked 22nd in Baseball America's prospect rankings, But after a month-plus of the season, it is starting to look like Olt might not even be worth a roster spot for most Fantasy owners, especially in leagues that do not allow an extra spot for minor-league players.

There are guys down in the minors who stand a better chance of making a Fantasy impact this season at this point. 

The Rangers placed first baseman Mike Olt on the disabled list while playing with Triple-A Round Rock Tuesday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Olt is dealing with an eye issue. 

Expected to see a specialist in 10-14 days, Olt could be cleared to return to action following his visit. The infielder has hit just .139 with one homer and 32 strikeouts over 20 games this season and Texas feels the eye issue could be a big reason for his struggles. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria drove in four runs Monday in an 8-7 loss to Toronto. Longoria hit a grand slam in the third inning off Mark Buehrle for his seventh homer of the season. 

Longoria went 2 for 5 i and is batting .305. He's hit in eight of his last 10 games with two homers and nine RBI over that span.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe hit his fourth home run Sunday against Cleveland, a two-run shot in the second inning.

Plouffe finished 1 for 2 with a walk and raised his line to .238/.326/.463. His line this year is nearly identical to last year's .235/.301/.455 campaign except with a few more walks, as the power he showed in 2012 with 24 home runs has been maintained so far.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria hit safely for the seventh time in the last eight games Saturday night against the Rockies. He went 2 for 4 with a run scored in the 9-3 loss. Both of his hits went for singles.

Longoria is batting .312 through 29 games with six homers and 15 RBI.

After having his 11-game hitting streak snapped the day before, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado began working on a new one Saturday against the Angels. He went 2 for 5 with a homer and a pair of runs scored. The 20-year-old also stole his third base in a 5-4 win.

Machado launched a solo shot off starter Tommy Hanson in his first at-bat before leading off the fifth inning with a single.

He is batting .393 (22 for 56) in his last 13 contests with two home runs and eight RBI.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe hit his third home run of the season as part of a 2-for-5 game against the Indians Friday. The solo homer and single boosted his line to .230/.310/.419 through 85 plate appearances.

A local eye doctor was unable to find anything unusual with Rangers first base prospect Mike Olt, Fox Sports Southwest reports. Olt has been having vision issues, and the next step is for Olt to see an eye specialist.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has been hot over the last few weeks, riding a nine-game hitting streak into Wednesday's action. The only thing missing from his game was a bit of over-the-fence power, which he provided as he extended that streak to 10 games in an 8-2 loss to the Mariners.

Machado hit his third home run of the season -- and first since April 20 -- as part of a 2-for-4 game. His home run was of the solo variety, as he ended the game with one RBI as well as two runs scored. He added a double, his sixth in the last six games.

Machado is now batting .311 on the season, with three home runs and 17 RBI. He has a .349 on-base percentage and .504 slugging percentage. 

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado pushed his hitting streak to nine games Tuesday with two doubles against the Mariners. Machado is batting .410 (16 for 39) with one triple, five RBI, six doubles and six runs during the streak.

After batting .241 through his first 14 games, Machado hit .368 (21 for 57) in his final 13 April games, raising his batting average to .304.