With the Yankees headed to Anaheim for a weekend series against the Halos, Los Angeles will be without the heart of their lineup as they face a New York team that has won eight straight road games.

Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero, the third and fourth hitters in the lineup, were placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday. Guerrero, has a strained muscle behind his left knee and a lower hamstring strain injury as well. During Tuesday night’s game against the Rangers, he landed awkwardly while pivoting to make a throw from right field.

Hunter, has been playing with an adductor strain in his right side for almost two months. He initially injured his right rib cage running into the wall at Dodger Stadium while making a catch during a May 22nd game against the Dodgers. He then re-injured the same area crashing into a wall in San Francisco on June 15th.

“I didn’t want to go on the DL – that’s not me – but maybe it’s for the best,” Hunter told MLB.com. “The way I have it figured, I should be ready to go on July 22. The All-Star break helps, since those days count.”

To fill the void left by Guerrero and Hunter, the Angels recalled infielder Brandon Wood and catcher Bobby Wilson from Triple-A Salt Lake. Wilson’s presence as a backup to Jeff Mathis will allow Mike Napoli to be used as the designated hitter.

While it be disappointing for the Angels to play without their top two hitters, it will be interesting to watch highly regarded prospect Brandon Wood hit at the major league level.

In 70 games for Salt Lake this season, Wood has posted solid numbers at the plate – .313 BA, 17 HRs, and 52 RBIs – and is ranked third in the Pacific Coast League with a .592 slugging percentage.

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