Cubs Morel and Mervis are mired in slumps. Should manager David Ross do anything to help?

Figuring out how to break new players into the major leagues is probably one of the most difficult jobs for a manager.

And it's especially difficult when they're slumping.

Do you keep them in the lineup to let them play through it and risk crushing confidence? Or do you play them sporadically, hoping that extra work with the hitting coach and some sage advice from veterans will pull them along?

Cubs manager David Ross is definitely taking the latter approach when it comes to Christopher Morel and Matt Mervis, both of whom are awfully lost at the plate right now.

"We're trying to ... put the best guys in (that) give us the best chance to win and also understand these guys have done a lot to get to this level," Ross said last week. "There's still a lot to learn in growth opportunities. ...

"I'm glad they're here. They give us some real thump. What they've done in the minor leagues this year definitely stands out and that's why they've earned the opportunity to be here."

Morel, who did not play in the Cubs' 3-1 loss at the Angels on Thursday, is a tough one to figure out.

He exploded onto the scene last season - homering in his first at-bat in a 7-0 victory over Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field on May 17 - and proceeded to slash .283/.359/.513 with 5 home runs and 14 RBIs in his first 28 games. Then came a drop off over the next 24 games, with Morel slashing .242/.305/.442 (which would have been far worse if not for a 5-for-5 performance on June 30).

A brief resurgence in mid-July turned out to be a mirage, and Morel batted a measly .163 to go along with an OBP of .263 in his final 55 games.

This year, the Cubs opted to let Morel start at Iowa. All he did there was blast 11 home runs in 29 games while hitting .330.

That earned the 23-year-old a call-up. And, boy, did impress.

Bam! Home run in his season debut vs. St. Louis on May 9. Bam! Another one three days later at Minnesota. Bam-bam! Two more on May 14 and 15.

Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam! An incredible five-game home run streak quickly followed, giving Morel nine bombs - and yes, most were absolute bombs - in just 12 games.

Nothing, seemingly, was going to stop the 23-year-old.

But just like last season, the bat has gone cold. Only this time it's frozen as Morel is 1-for-25 in his last nine games.

Morel's swing is big and powerful, which is why he has 25 HRs in 135 games. But the downside is he's almost always in all-or-nothing attack mode. The best hitters adjust with two strikes. Perhaps Morel should choke up and shorten the swing once in a while.

Just a thought.

As for Mervis, he had four 2-hit games and 7 RBIs in his first 13 starts. Since then, he's 1-for-23 with 3 walks and 9 strikeouts.

Ross has started Mervis in only five of the last 12 games and Morel in three of the last seven. He's hoping hard work and perhaps some sage advice from veterans like Dansby Swanson will help bring the duo out of their funks.

"He's really taken to grabbing some of those guys and helping them with a lot of that stuff," Ross said of Swanson. "Just the mindset and mentality it takes every single day, trying to cut yourself some slack when you go 0-for-4 and don't have the best game. ...

"Being an every day player, you've got to come back the next day and have a lot of confidence in yourself and keep your routine and preparation the same and trust your process and adjust that process if you need to.

"We've got a lot of winners in there that impact those guys on a daily. It's up to the young guys to listen and try to find their way with the advice they give."

Angels 3, Cubs 1:

Los Angeles' Jo Adell hit the longest home run of the season at Angel Stadium - a 451-foot rocket that had a 117.2-mph exit velocity - and the Angels sent the Cubs to their fourth straight loss. Adell, who was called up because the Angels put Hunter Renfroe on the paternity list, was making his season debut.

The Cubs, who struck out 12 times, managed just 5 hits but did take a 1-0 lead in the second on back-to-back singles by Miguel Amaya and Trey Mancini.

Adell then homered to lead off the second, and the Angels took a 2-1 lead later in the frame on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Ward.

Cubs starter Drew Smyly gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits while walking three and striking out four in 6 innings.