If there’s one thing Cubs fans will have learned in the first month with Craig Counsell at the helm, it’s that he loves to maximize his 26-man roster.

So, when Cody Bellinger landed on the IL on Wednesday with a pair of fractures in his right rib, Counsell was not looking at Pete Crow-Armstrong — who was recalled taking Bellinger’s roster spot — as a like-for-like replacement.

“Pete’s here because of injuries,” Counsell said before Wednesday’s 4-3 win against Houston. “When these guys get healthy, there’s probably not going to be a spot for him.”

Instead, Counsell is viewing Crow-Armstrong’s addition as another way to help the Cubs win ball games. In other words, don’t expect him to be the everyday center fielder in Bellinger’s absence. Instead, Crow-Armstrong will likely cycle with Mike Tauchman and maybe Alexander Canario in center field while Bellinger recuperates. Tauchman started Wednesday’s game in center. 

The Cubs used a 4-run 1st inning, capitalized by a 3-run Dansby Swanson home run to jump ahead and held on late to win the ball game. 

“We’re gonna play whoever works out best to play that day and is the best nine to start the game,” Counsell said. “And realize that Pete’s got some other ways to affect the game and we’ll use him however we think makes sense.”

That will likely be primarily as a defensive option and baserunner for Counsell, like he was Wednesday, when he entered in the 8th inning as a defensive replacement. Crow-Armstrong’s defense has never been a question and the potential to be a top defender in the big leagues is there. Couple that with some sprint speed that ranked in the 99^th percentile last season, and that’s how Crow-Armstrong can affect games like Counsell mentioned.

Crow-Armstrong was optioned to Triple-A not long after Bellinger was re-signed in Spring Training, with the goal of everyday at-bats in the minors being a way for him to improve his hitting profile, a clear area of growth for him.

The results, though, haven’t quite been there.

In 83 plate appearances with the I-Cubs, the 22-year-old was slashing .203/.241/.392/54 wRC+ with 2 home runs and 5 stolen bases. While he won’t necessarily be picking up those everyday at-bats in the big leagues, it doesn’t mean that his development is being completely stunted.

“From [the everyday playing time] perspective, we’re maybe taking a timeout, but I still think big-league at-bats, big league competition — that’s development too,” Counsell said. “It may not be on an everyday basis here, but there’s still things to learn. And really the priority is going to be winning games and we’ll put them in spots that hopefully he can help us do that.”

The extent of Bellinger’s injury and a timetable for return is unclear, Counsell said. But if it’s on the shorter end in terms of recovery, then a month or so of Crow-Armstrong in the big leagues, being around the environment and learning, will still be beneficial to him, even if he’s not stepping up to the plate 4 or 5 times each day.

And if Crow-Armstrong can excel in that, then maybe he forces the Cubs’ hand and gives them a good problem to have.