Pete Crow-Armstrong says the quiet part out loud regarding embarrassing Cubs struggles

It's been a week to forget for Pete Crow-Armstrong. Crow-Armstrong was fined after an exchange with a Chicago White Sox fan last Sunday, and had two notable errors while the Chicago Cubs were getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Craig Counselll suggested the Crow-Armstrong will be in lineup when the Cubs play the Houston Astros on Friday afternoon, but that hasn't stopped fans from wondering what is going on with the young center fielder. Crow-Armstrong is once again in the midst of an offensive slump and with the fan interaction added to his woes, the impression has been that he's in need of a mental reset.

If nothing else, Crow-Armstrong hasn't hid from the criticism. He issued an apology for what happened against the White Sox last weekend, and after his gaffe on Wednesday night, he met with reporters after the game.

“One thing I can fall back on is that it’s never really a lack of focus,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters. “But trying too hard and trying to make up for the lack of production that I’ve given this team and this city, and not acting how I should, I think anything physically usually starts mentally. I think that’s just what I’m showing everybody right now.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong needs a Craig Counsell intervention

Through his first two seasons as the Cubs' manager, Counsell has instilled trust in his veteran players. Rather than giving them a day off as a way to reset, Counsell has made it clear that his stance is that struggling players should be afforded the opportunity to play their way out of trouble. That stance almost certainly is appreciate within the Cubs' clubhouse, but Crow-Armstrong sounds like someone in need of a break.

That doesn't mean that the Cubs should option him back to Triple-A Iowa; there's no scenario where that makes sense for the goals of the 2026 season. That being said, a day off for Crow-Armstrong after the team had the off day on Thursday wouldn't be a terrible concept.

If Counsell isn't going to do it, it appears that Alex Bregman might. It may seem trivial, considering Bregman is also struggling this season, but the veteran third baseman continues to be a voice of influence behind the scenes. Bregman had a long conversation with Crow-Armstrong after Wednesday's game, suggesting that he was offering some words of wisdom.

The awareness certainly seems to be there that Crow-Armstrong is teetering, and it will be on the Cubs to correct that. If they don't, the problem will only grow larger as the season drags on.

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