Cubs president Theo Epstein said Saturday that the club has no plans to send Mike Olt to the minors.

Olt leads all National League rookies with 10 home runs and 25 RBI, but he's hitting just .149/.230/.364 overall, has struck out 65 times even though he's started just 41 games and has only two hits this month. However, it appears the Cubs will keep him up with the big club and continue to play him regularly against lefties. "He's not backing down," -Epstein said. "He's grinding his way through it. He's shown the things that make him, potentially, a really good player with the insane raw power and his ability to, when he gets his pitch, hit it out of the ballpark. We think this is the right place for him, and he's going to get a lot of at-bats against left-handed -pitching."

Mike Olt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run as the Cubs defeated the Brewers on Sunday.

Olt's fourth-inning blast off of Marco Estrada was Olt's ninth of the season. The prospect hasn't done much with the bat other than homer, as he now carries a lopsided .176/.254/.451 slash line with 20 RBI. That Olt is on pace for 35 home runs is a nice consolation, however.

Mike Olt collected his eighth homer and his eighth single in Monday's route of the Cardinals.

Olt is still batting just .187, but this makes four homers in six games for him. Of course, he has just two hits besides the homers over that span. It's great to see the power, but homers alone won't make him a building block for the Cubs.

Mike Olt went 2-for-4 with a grand slam as the Cubs defeated the White Sox on Thursday.

Olt cleared the bases in the eighth inning against Maikel Cleto, his sixth home run of the season. The third baseman has now homered in back-to-back games, but his stats are still a couple good weeks away from respectability. Olt is currently slashing .184/.259/.434.

Mike Olt hit his fifth homer of the year Wednesday in the loss to the White Sox.

Five homers in 72 at-bats is pretty impressive. The .167 average and 27/6 K/BB ratio are less so, especially since the Cubs are trying to start him only in favorable situations. He doesn't seem ready for an expanded role yet.

Cubs manager Rick Renteria indicated Tuesday that Mike Olt will be given more playing time at third base going forward.

Olt is hitting just .195 so far, but he belted his fourth home run Tuesday and is sporting a .512 slugging percentage. He's shared the position with Luis Valbuena so far, but it sounds like he'll be given a chance to run with the job. "We've talked about gradually getting him into that role," Renteria said. "Do I plan on playing him [Wednesday]? Yes. Everything's very calculated. So I'm going to throw him out there and let him run with it a little bit. We're still measuring everything; we're still trying to be kind of guarded, but he'll be in there tomorrow again."

Mike Olt hit his fourth home run of the season on Tuesday, a three-run shot in a win over the Diamondbacks.

It was Olt's only hit in four at-bats. It's been mostly feast or famine for the 25-year-old thus far, as he's hitting just .195 but has a .512 slugging percentage. The three-run homer gave him nine RBI in 41 at-bats this season.

Mike Olt went 2-for-5 with a home run and three runs batted in as the Cubs defeated the Pirates on Wednesday.

Olt hit a two-run blast off of Wandy Rodriguez in the fifth inning, then added an RBI single in the sixth. He entered the game with just one hit in four at-bats and has been sharing time at third base with Luis Valbuena. The Cubs hope Olt can get on a tear and take the everyday job at the hot corner at some point during the season.

Mike Olt is not in the Cubs' lineup Friday.

Neither is Junior Lake, as Luis Valbuena is starting at third base and Ryan Sweeney is starting in left field versus the Phillies' Roberto Hernandez. Olt hit his first major league home run Thursday but has now been on the bench for two of the team's first four games.

Mike Olt slugged his first career home run Thursday in the Cubs' victory over the Pirates.

It was a second-inning shot off Pittsburgh starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez. Olt went hitless for the rest of the game and is batting just .143 so far this season, but the former Rangers prospect carries decent fantasy upside as the Cubs' regular third baseman.

Mike Olt has earned an Opening Day roster spot.

Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer made the announcement on Thursday morning in camp. Olt earned his spot by posting a .929 OPS in 56 plate appearances this spring and should be Chicago's regular third baseman for the majority of the 2014 season. Top third base prospect Kris Bryant is on the way. Olt makes for a decent flier in deeper mixed fantasy leagues because of his past production in the Rangers' minor league system.

Mike Olt (shoulder) will get his first Cactus League start at third base on Thursday.

Olt has been bothered all spring by fatigue in his right shoulder, but he's now making steady strides and will try to get as close as possible to 100 percent fitness by Opening Day. The former top Rangers prospect could take over starting third base duties in Chicago early this season. Luis Valbuena is all that stands in his way.

Mike Olt (shoulder) will return to Cactus League action Wednesday.

Olt was scratched from Monday's lineup due to fatigue in right shoulder, an issue that's bothered him off and on this spring. He's feeling better now, though, and ready to give it a go.

Mike Olt was scratched from Monday's lineup due to fatigue in right shoulder.

Olt has battled shoulder issues on and off all spring, but Cubs manager Rick Renteria isn't concerned. "We're looking to keep him healthy," the skipper said. Olt is expected to begin the season at Triple-A.

Mike Olt hit two home runs in Wednesday night's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

Olt had been battling some shoulder soreness, but he broke out in a big way on Wednesday evening. "The last couple of days I've felt much better, just in batting practice, doing some extra work," he said after the game. "Made some serious strides." Olt, a former top prospect of the Rangers, could very easily take over starting third base duties this season in Chicago.

Mike Olt (shoulder) is getting closer to playing third base.

Olt has been bothered by shoulder soreness this spring, but he is beginning to make progress. "I've thrown there the last couple of days," said Olt. "My velocity is right where it needs to be." The 24-year-old figures to begin the season in the minors, but it might not take long for him to replace Luis Valbuena if he gets off to a quick start with the bat.

Mike Olt hit a two-run home run in his only at-bat on Tuesday against the Athletics.

Olt has been bothered by shoulder soreness and has seen limited action in the Cactus League thus far. The former Rangers top prospect battled vision issues last year as well. He'll start the year in the minors most likely, but could displace Luis Valbuena at third base if he hits well enough.

Mike Olt (shoulder) is hoping to make his Cactus League debut at third base soon.

Olt started the opener in the DH spot, but some shoulder soreness has kept him from playing the field. He's feeling much better, though, so we should see him at the hot corner soon enough. Olt is competing for the third base job but will almost surely begin the year in the minors.

Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago reports that Mike Olt is currently dealing with a sore right shoulder.

The Cubs are playing things cautiously with the injured slugger, using him as the designated hitter in Thursday's Cactus League opener, but don't expect it to be a major issue moving forward. The powerful 25-year-old could conceivably take the reigns of the team's starting job at third base with a strong spring performance.

Mike Olt said Sunday that the vision issues that plagued him last year are entirely behind him now.

Once thought of as one of the top prospects in the game, Olt's stock has tumbled after slashing a brutal .201/.303/.381 with a 132/55 K/BB ratio over 107 minor league contests in 2013. If healthy and seeing the ball better though, it's conceivable he could impress enough this spring to earn a shot at being the Cubs regular third baseman to begin the season.