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Hunter has no ill effects

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Center fielder Torii Hunter was back in the Angels’ lineup Monday night, looking no worse for the wear from his nasty collision Sunday with the Dodger Stadium wall and an overnight trip to Arkansas for the funeral of his grandmother.

Hunter had the wind knocked out of him when he slammed face first into the wall, with his glove arm fully extended, to make a spectacular catch of Matt Kemp’s drive in the fourth inning.

The eight-time Gold Glove Award winner remained on his back for several minutes, trying to catch his breath. He stayed in the game long enough to contribute two hits and three runs batted in but was pulled in the seventh inning.

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Hunter was gone by the time the clubhouse opened after the game, but not because he was too woozy to speak to reporters.

He had chartered a jet to fly to his hometown of Pine Bluff, Ark., for the funeral of Zelma Louise Hunter, his paternal grandmother who died last week at 94.

Hunter flew back after the Monday morning service and got to the clubhouse five minutes before the team started batting practice, but Manager Mike Scioscia had the lineup posted long before Hunter’s arrival.

“I actually felt pretty good when I woke up,” Hunter said. “I left a couple of text messages for Mike and [bench coach] Ron Roenicke telling them I better be in the lineup.”

Hunter, 33, clutched his left shoulder after the catch, but it was actually his right arm, which was tucked under his body at the time of impact, that did the most damage.

“I was trying to make the catch and turn so my back would hit the wall, because I thought I had a little more time, but my elbow hit me in the ribs,” Hunter said. “I couldn’t breathe.”

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Hunter has made several catches while running into walls this season but has no intention of being more cautious.

“I’ve been in the game 11 years and have been running into walls my whole career,” Hunter said. “If I would have been gun shy I would have stopped running into walls my first year.”

Scioscia doesn’t want Hunter to change his style.

“When you play aggressively, you’re going to minimize risk,” he said. “When you start to worry about whether you should dive for a ball or go into a wall, you’re heightening your risk of injury.”

Booster shot

Vladimir Guerrero, out since April 16 because of a torn right chest muscle, was activated and in the lineup, batting third. To make room for the slugger, the Angels optioned outfielder Reggie Willits to triple-A Salt Lake.

The Angels were 20-15 without Guerrero, hitting .287 and averaging 5.1 runs per game. In eight games with Guerrero, the Angels were 3-5, hit .257 and averaged 3.9 runs.

“Torii really picked up his game, we saw what Kendry Morales can do, Juan Rivera and Gary Matthews contributed, Mike Napoli . . . we created offense,” Scioscia said. “You can’t be contingent on one guy being in the lineup, and we weren’t.”

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Short hops

Second baseman Howie Kendrick, scratched from Sunday’s game because of a cramp in his left hamstring, said he should play tonight. . . . Infielder Maicer Izturis, slowed by tightness in his lower back, also said he felt good enough to play Monday.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

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