When Pete Crow-Armstrong spoke with Craig Counsell after being recalled on Wednesday, his manager had some honest, yet refreshing words.

“Couns kinda just said, you don’t need to be a good hitter yet, especially at this point in time with this team,” Crow-Armstrong said Thursday morning.

The message was that there are other ways to impact a game beyond with his bat.

But Crow-Armstrong showed Thursday he can influence with his bat, too.

He hit a 2-run, go-ahead home run in the 6^th inning against the Astros, his first major-league hit and first long ball in the same swing, sparking the Cubs to a 3-1 win and sweep over the Astros.  

Crow-Armstrong sent a 95-mph fastball from Bryan Abreu into the right field bleachers, crushing the ball 107.6-mph off his bat for a no-doubt home run.

“I think Pete, just being a part of winning baseball, is what he wants,” Counsell said after the win. “And it’s all we’re asking for. Today he made a big contribution, but he can make small contributions and those will be enough at this stage of his career.

“Today he took a swing that won us the ballgame. But tomorrow, a great defensive play is fine, a good base running play’s plenty. So that was where the message was centered.”

It’s  similar to what Counsell echoed to reporters on Wednesday: Crow-Armstrong wasn’t brought up to be a like-for-like replacement for the injured Cody Bellinger. Rather, he was brought up to help the Cubs win, and that would come in the form of his defense and baserunning prowess, while getting some reps at the plate, too.

That was almost a liberating message for the 22-year-old outfielder to hear.

“That’s big for my everyday life,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’ve loved seeing that I have multiple ways to impact this, whatever field I’m on, I guess. But having that reaffirmed by Couns and by teammates is huge for me.”

Crow-Armstrong is far from a finished product — prospects rarely are when they’re called up to the majors. That’s part of the reason the Cubs wanted to bring back Bellinger this offseason, knowing that their top prospect could benefit from more seasoning in the minors, especially offensively.

Crow-Armstrong spent all offseason and spring, focusing on his offensive game, knowing a step up there could help him reach and succeed in the majors. But the most important aspect for him might’ve come from the mental side.

“I just don’t think I was the best version of myself at that point last year,” Crow-Armstrong said.

This year, he feels he’s in a better place for a multitude of reasons.

First, he’s had that first taste of major-league experience. He has a better idea of what to expect and knows his teammates, allowing him more liberty to be himself.

But most importantly, he understands his role. Counsell’s messaging allows him to be who he is and not try to do too much at the plate. Thursday’s results, while early, seem to be proof of that.

“It’s a big boost of confidence knowing that Couns and the rest of the people here have faith in me,” Crow-Armstrong said. “But yeah, coming into a hot ball club and knowing exactly what you have to do is super liberating and freeing. It makes you go out and play fun baseball.”