The Atlanta Braves are running away with the NL East crown. They entered their Friday night clash against the Chicago Cubs with a 69-37 record — the best in the MLB — and that was with Max Fried having made just five starts on the season (26 innings pitched). Fried has dealt with a forearm strain that has kept him out since May 5, but you could just hear the entire MLB let out a collective groan after the 29-year old southpaw and the Braves' ace made his return to the mound against the Cubs.

And it was as if Fried didn't miss a single beat. In his return from a three-month absence, the 29-year old lefty struck out eight in six innings of work, leading the Braves to an 8-0 victory over the Cubs. Fried was on point, allowing just three hits to give the team their 70th win of the season.

While Max Fried's track record of excellence didn't exactly make this kind of performance in his return from an injury a total surprise, Braves manager Brian Snitker still couldn't help but be in awe of how sharp the team's ace was despite the lengthy layoff.

“That was something else. I really didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t think he’d be that sharp. That was pretty good and very impressive what he did,” Snitker said, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com.

As the old adage goes, “the rich get richer”, and the Braves certainly embody that saying better than any team in the league. Seeing Max Fried back to performing at his best is simply unfair for any team hoping to chase the Braves in the standings.

“It's like making a huge trade to get him back. He's been one of the top starting pitchers in the league for a while now. You miss a guy like that,” Snitker added.

It remains to be seen how cautious the Braves end up being with Max Fried, as they cannot risk him getting injured again with the stretch run looming. But if his dominance on Friday night is any indication, it may not be long until the Braves unleash him fully once more.