CHICAGO — Pete Crow-Armstrong will routinely find himself in Craig Counsell’s office throughout the season.

The Cubs centerfielder has a comfort level with his manager that he isn’t afraid to step in there and just chat him up.

“He’s got a lot to provide for a guy like me and he’s shown the most support in me than just about anyone in the baseball world,” Crow-Armstrong said before Friday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I go see him all the time because I know he’s got my back and my best interest in mind.”

Sometimes, they’ll chat about baseball. Other times they’ll talk life. Some days they’ll just “shoot the breeze” – although Crow-Armstrong used a bit more vivid language to describe those conversations.

Over the last few days, though, some of those talks have centered on baseball and life lessons. Counsell asked his superstar center fielder a simple question before Thursday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, a game where Crow-Armstrong had the day off amidst a 3-for-41 stretch (.073) to start August.

“I asked him this yesterday – and then kind of avoided him for the rest of the day – what did you learn this week?” Counsell said.

It was a way for Crow-Armstrong to stew on this difficult period during a season where an extended lull like this has been rare. The 23-year-old is young not only in his baseball career, but in life, and Counsell recognizes that. It’s part of the manager’s job – the part that isn’t often seen or as talked about as much as his lineup construction or bullpen choices.

[READ: Pete Crow-Armstrong shares memories of Paul Skenes from Little League days]

“It’s kind of just life talks more than anything,” Counsell said. “They’re kind of about baseball, but more about life, [is] the best way to say it. I think, offering just perspective, and some understanding about what’s going on in everybody’s journey in life and helping where you can.”

That’s why Counsell asked Crow-Armstrong that question. And the center fielder learned how to deal with frustrations amidst a slump and the importance of not pressing. When you’re scuffling at the plate and the ball isn’t being hit your way, you feel even more weight on yourself and trying to do more wherever you can – for Crow-Armstrong that could come on the basepaths, where his blazing speed can be a difference-maker.

It’s exactly what happened in Sunday’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. In the fourth inning, Crow-Armstrong singled with the Cubs down two runs and promptly swiped second. Standing at second with the Cubs threatening, Crow-Armstrong felt an opportunity to impact the game and took a nice lead, but Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray sensed that and picked him off at second base for the second out of the inning, essentially stymying the threat.

He made another out on the basepaths in Friday’s game. After picking up a two-out single to drive home the Cubs’ first run, Crow-Armstrong tried to stretch his hit into a double and was thrown out at second base.

It was a close play — and probably the right decision — but it was another example of Crow-Armstrong trying to make things happen on the basepaths amid a slump.

“So when stuff starts to pile up like that, it sucked,” Crow-Armstrong said. “But it’s also baseball and I still have however many weeks left in the season and it’s still a lot of time to begin to produce again. But I mean it’s just wanting to go out there every day and treat every day like you have a chance to do something new.”

The two hope Thursday’s off day helped do that. At the very least, it’s taught him not to press and that itself is a valuable lesson or a player with less than two seasons of games played under his belt and will go through plenty of more highs and lows in his career.

“I think he learned that this week,” Counsell said. “I think that’s one of the things he’s learning this week. And those are great lessons to learn.

“And it’s part of being a better player and being a better version of yourself. That’s what’s happening right now.”