If this year’s Atlanta Braves haven’t officially hit rock bottom, they’re certainly nearing it. The six-time reigning National League East Division champions, who are just three years removed from a World Series championship, were out of playoff position heading into Friday night’s game.

Wrap your head around that one for a minute. We’re just a year removed from the Braves crushing homers left and right, pummeling the opposition and posting a plethora of All-Star talent. After watching the Braves perform this year, it’s hard to imagine this is the same team.

A freefall happens when your favorite team is mired in a five-game losing streak, on the heels of getting embarrassed in a three-game sweep at home to the Milwaukee Brewers, outscored 34-12 in the process.

This is unfamiliar territory for a lot of these Braves, who have been a playoff participant every year since 2018. The Braves, which started 2-5 in August, are 7-12 after the All-Star break and are showing no signs of life at the plate with older, injury-prone players finally showing some vulnerability. This includes Charlie Morton, who was shellacked by the Brewers on Thursday, and Reynaldo Lopez, who’s the latest to be placed on the injured list with a forearm injury.

This is how far the Braves have fallen. With a roster full of past all-stars, all of whom in their prime, a general manager with a knack for making one shrewd move after another and a manager that the players seem to like playing for, the Braves were preseason favorites to contend at least for a National League Championship. They are now officially in third place in the division and in fourth place in the Wild Card race (0.5 game back of the Mets).

What’s equally as deflating to the Braves fans is the fact that the first-place Phillies, also mired in a recent slump, left the door open a bit for the Braves to take advantage. Not going to happen with this crew.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. But that’s what happens when injuries begin to take a toll and not just injuries to role players or seldom used bullpen arms; these injuries were to the stars of the team; Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Austin Riley and Sean Murphy.

The steady decline this year is also attributed to certain stars not playing up to their “star” status, namely Matt Olson. Anybody else wishing we had given in and just paid Freddie Freeman for the extra year?

I mentioned last time that this didn’t seem to be the year for the Braves. It’s becoming more evident with every loss.