The Angels acquired the big prize hitter on the trade market sending Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to the Braves for slugger Mark Teixeira.  The move should better position the team from Orange County for a serious run through the playoffs.  The Angels are virtually assured of winning the AL West, but their offense would probably be an issue against the other contenders like Boston, Chicago, and New York.

Teixeira should fit nicely hitting either in front or behind Vladimir Guerrero.  With the additions of Teixeira, Torii Hunter, and Juan Rivera

Here are some injury notes on some key players in baseball this week.  Fantasy players should pay close attention because some of the biggest names will be spending some extended time on the bench:

• Chipper Jones has already missed 8 games, and now he looks headed to the DL.  Jones has avoided the disabled list all season despite a nagging hamstring injury, but now he may also miss the All-Star game despite hitting .394 for the season.

• Yunel

John Smoltz’s comeback lasted just one inning as the 41-year old right-hander elected to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday.  Smoltz has had four previous operations on his elbow, and this injury could finally be the one that pushes him towards retirement.

"I've pulled off a lot of miracles," said Smoltz. "I probably shouldn't have played this long. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can extend it."

Even if he has thrown his last pitch, Smoltz