Rejuvenated PCA central to Cubs' opener win in return to lineup
This browser does not support the video element.
CHICAGO -- As the Cubs prepared for the final few weeks of this season and the potential postseason gauntlet to follow, manager Craig Counsell wanted to find a spot to give Pete Crow-Armstrong a chance to take a deep breath.
During the last road trip, Counsell said it “became apparent” to him that Crow-Armstrong could benefit from a physical and mental break. He circled Tuesday and Wednesday as an opportune window for days out of the lineup, plus the added bonus of Thursday’s team off-day. It was an opportunity for the young center fielder to finally take his foot off the gas.
“In my experience, it’s been helpful for players,” Counsell said prior to Friday’s 11-5 win over the Nationals at Wrigley Field. “It’s the mental reset and just the break of being frustrated by the results. That's a big lift off guys. The lift of being measured by your results every single day. That’s a real grind that players go through.”
In his return to the starting lineup on Friday, Crow-Armstrong helped get a five-run first inning rolling with a sacrifice fly to deep right field. He added a pair of singles (one 105.2 mph off the bat and the other 100.6 mph, per Statcast), stole his 32nd base of the season and chipped in another sac fly before the day was done.
It was a strong day overall for the Cubs’ offense, which churned out four home runs to back Javier Assad’s decent outing. Dansby Swanson belted a three-run shot in the first, while Reese McGuire (second inning), Nico Hoerner (sixth) and Ian Happ (eighth) added solo shots.
This browser does not support the video element.
“Huge,” Crow-Armstrong said of the overall showing by the lineup. “I mean, we started to see the guys kind of popping off the last couple weeks here.”
For Crow-Armstrong, it was a solid day back in the mix after a prolonged slump in the batter’s box. The center fielder entered the day slashing .163/.217/.231 with just one homer in his previous 30 games. That lone blast came on Aug. 22 at Angel Stadium, but Crow-Armstrong then hit .161 (5-for-31) over the rest of the road trip.
Counsell said the hope is that Crow-Armstrong feels “a little bit refreshed” heading into the final few weeks of the regular season. He was performing like a legitimate National League Most Valuable Player candidate in the first half, and he remains a key piece to Chicago’s chances of a deep postseason run.
“That’s why you do it,” Counsell said. “But I don’t have data behind it. It is one of those things where it’s a gut decision, for sure. There’s data in front of it that’s suggesting that maybe it’s time to do it. But you’re just looking at the person and the player. You’re talking to coaches and people down here and just, it’s what the player needs. What’s best for the player?”
There have been other noteworthy examples in recent years for the Cubs:
Last month, Counsell gave Kyle Tucker a mental reset period on Aug. 19-20 after Tucker slashed .186/.320/.236 with one home run over a 40-game stretch. While Tucker is currently sidelined with a left calf issue, his past 11 games have featured a .400/.489/.800 slash line with four homers.
Last season, catcher Miguel Amaya was given a handful of games off in early July to focus on a mechanical adjustment. In his final 54 games of the season following his return, he hit .282 with a .799 OPS.
Counsell gave Happ a mental reset in mid-May last year, when the outfielder’s OPS sat at .635 on the campaign. His next 52 games included a .932 OPS, and he posted an .833 OPS over the final 114 games of the season.
In early August 2023, Seiya Suzuki sat for a few games amid a persistent slump. After he returned to the lineup, the slugger hit .356 with 11 homers and a 1.086 OPS in his last 47 games of the year.
“When you’re going through things,” Swanson said, “you may not necessarily realize how physically tired you may be, or even just mentally tired you may be. This game can cause a lot of stress and can really challenge you in so many different ways. I think they’ve been able to handle so many situations so well.”
This browser does not support the video element.
Crow-Armstrong was on board with Counsell’s approach, and he is hoping the brief respite pays dividends down the stretch.
“The break was good. It was definitely smart and calculated,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Kind of from the jump, I just put my trust in [Counsell]. And then as we’ve gone on here, it’s continued to evolve into a really good relationship.”