Anderson seeks end to slump

DETROIT -- Garret Anderson acknowledged Friday that if he doesn’t break out of his slump soon, Manager Mike Scioscia may have little choice but to drop him from the cleanup spot.

“If I’m hurting the team, yeah, put me in a different spot,” Anderson said. “I’m up to the challenge. I know where I want to hit in the lineup. . . . It’s just that overall, it’s not happening right now.

“I don’t get too cerebral or think about it a lot. I know I can hit, and I don’t worry about it happening. The only thing that frustrates me is I’m hitting in a position in the lineup and I’m letting the team down in certain areas. That’s what I’m upset about.”

Anderson is batting .234 with two home runs, seven doubles and 11 runs batted in. A career .291 hitter against left-handers, he’s batting .105 (two for 19) against them this season, which is one reason he did not start against Detroit’s Nate Robertson on Friday.

The 35-year-old left fielder battled injuries the last four years but is sound this season. He says he feels comfortable in the box.

“I’m just not having productive at-bats,” Anderson said. “But there’s no sense of urgency. I’m very confident in my ability. I have five months to fix it. I don’t have one day to fix it.”

Scioscia, as he often does with struggling players, gave Anderson a night off “to take a step back and let some air out,” he said. “He’s got the same demeanor, but I think he’s grinding a bit. Hopefully he can find his rhythm and balance at the plate. He’s not that far off. He’s just jumping at the ball a bit.”

Anderson is not one to panic. It’s not in his personality. A career .297 hitter entering 2008, he struggled to hit for power in the first half of 2007 but had 13 homers and 65 RBIs after the All-Star break.

And don’t think Anderson feels extra pressure because he’s in the last year of a four-year, $48-million deal and isn’t sure where he’ll be playing in 2009.

“There’s uncertainty about everything -- this year isn’t any different,” Anderson said. “If they didn’t want me here last year, I wouldn’t be here. Maybe front-office, business-wise, it’s different, but on the field, it’s no different. I still have to do my job.”

------

With the Angels bullpen having thrown 11 2/3 innings already on this trip and reliever Chris Bootcheck sidelined because of flu-like symptoms, the Angels bolstered their pitching staff after Friday night’s game, recalling relievers Jose Arredondo and Rich Thompson from triple-A Salt Lake.

The Angels sent first baseman Kendry Morales and infielder Sean Rodriguez to Salt Lake, moves that will give them a 13-man pitching staff and 12 position players.

--

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com