Craig Counsell’s latest Pete Crow-Armstrong comment is brutally honest

As the Chicago Cubs season enters its final stretch, manager Craig Counsell is having to juggle staying in contention for the NL Central crown, clinching a Wild Card berth, and making sure his stars are all ready for a playoff run.

On Wednesday night, he did that by taking starting pitcher Cade Horton out of the game against the Atlanta Braves after the fifth inning, despite Horton throwing a no-hitter at the time. The Cubs ended up losing the game, and afterwards, Counsell took heat for lifting Horton but also for not playing stars like Pete Crow-Armstrong. However, he had an explanation for PCA riding the pine, despite the offense scoring just one run.

Craig Counsell benched Pete Crow-Armstrong — and here’s why

“We’re given the chance with the off day here to give him a real break, and to just kind of give him a reset a little bit," the Cubs manager said about PCA. "Just to get him a physical and mental break. And then go into the last, essentially, three and a half weeks of the season, hopefully a little bit refreshed."

Counsell went on to say that even though Crow-Armstrong wanted in the game, the Cubs manager wanted to stick with the plan.

"I think Pete wanted to play. But I looked at this really, frankly, early in the road trip, thinking, where could we get Pete a break? And as the road trip went on, it became obvious to me that we should use this opportunity to get him a little break."

A break is hardly the worst idea. Pete Crow-Armstrong has slashed just .173/.207/.269 with a 22 wRC+ over the last two weeks. On the season, he's down to a .250/.290/.493 slash line and a 114 wRC+.

The hope now is that when he returns to the Chicago Cubs' lineup on Friday, he'll have really gotten a reset and start hitting again. The club needs his offense in the playoffs.