Sometimes it is not meant to be. That’s the feeling I am getting with this year’s Atlanta Braves team.

First Spencer Strider. Then Ronald Acuña Jr. Then Michael Harris II. and now Ozzie Albies and Max Fried. The star power lost on this team due to injury is staggering, which just doesn’t even take into account the missed time for last year’s All-Stars, Sean Murphy and Austin Riley.

Heck, Whit Merrifield was just signed this week before injuring his middle finger during a pregame workout with the Braves. Manager Brian Snitker said it correctly, “You can’t make it up.”

Combine that with a team underperforming at the plate and the Braves have hit an unimaginable skid, the likes of which a players’ only meeting could not halt. They have lost five straight heading into Friday’s game with the Mets. They’ve lost eight of their last 11. Suddenly, a nice lead in the Wild Card standings has dwindled, and the Braves’ automatic spot in the postseason is very much in doubt.

Who would have guessed the season would turn out this way after last year’s squad demolished the opposition through the regular season? This year they couldn’t even execute a suicide squeeze play on Thursday night.

Injuries have obviously been a problem, but so too, have players that should be hitting, but haven’t done so the entire year.

Matt Olson has to shoulder more of the responsibility. Last year’s home run champ has tallied just 13 this year with 114 strikeouts and a woeful .225 batting average. That’s unacceptable, especially at a time of the year when the team is riddled with injuries and the one healthy star has been struggling from the start of the season until now.

Jarred Kelenic has provided a spark at times batting leadoff. But his average is only .244 with 92 strikeouts. Orlando Arcia’s defensive wizardry at shortstop can only atone for a pitiful year at the plate for so long. He is batting .217.

What can Alex Anthopolous do to break this team out of its funk? Acquire an outfielder? A shortstop? A reliable starting pitcher? Maybe, but at what cost? Would he really sacrifice the future of highly touted prospects for the potential to win now? I’m not sure he would.

Like me, he may just agree that this may not be the Braves year. Injuries have said so.