Figgins finds that he fits right in again

The fastest player on the team had an odd objective Friday night.

“Don’t slow these guys down,” third baseman Chone Figgins said before starting his first game since Aug. 21, the night he suffered a bruised left wrist against the Yankees. “They’ve been doing a great job without me. Just try to find some holes, get some walks.”

Figgins, who went into the game as baseball’s top hitter since June 1 with a .393 average, found some holes, and he drew a walk.

The leadoff hitter and catalyst essentially picked up right where he left off, slicing a double to left to lead off the first inning, taking third on Orlando Cabrera’s grounder to second and scoring on Garret Anderson’s single to center.

Figgins finished off his return with a leadoff double in the 10th, moved to third on Cabrera’s flyout to right and scored the winning run on Kendry Morales’ one-out single to right in the Angels’ 3-2 win over Cleveland.

Figgins also stroked a one-out single to left in the sixth inning and scored on Cabrera’s double to left to give the Angels a 2-1 lead.

Not bad for a switch-hitter who, when asked if his wrist was 100%, said, “No . . . no . . . but I feel like I can play. It’s sore. None of us is ever 100%, but I feel like I can compete at a high level without hurting the team. I’m ready to go.”

Figgins wore a wrist brace for protection and support and will probably hit only from the left side. He was hurt while swinging right-handed and did not swing from the right side during batting practice this week because it caused too much discomfort.

Justin Speier is not a big memorabilia collector. The Angels’ reliever can think of two game balls he has kept, one from his first major league save with Colorado in 2002 and one from Thursday night’s game against the Indians.

The occasion? It was the 33-year-old right-hander’s 500th big league appearance. Manager Mike Scioscia also gave Speier the lineup card from the game, and Speier, who threw 1 1/3 hitless innings in a 10-3 Angels win, asked his teammates to sign it.

“To get my 500th appearance on the team I plan to retire with means a lot to me,” said Speier, who missed 2 1/2 months of the season because of an intestinal infection. “I’m grateful every time I get a chance to pitch.”

Right fielder Vladimir Guerrero sat out his second straight game because of an inflamed right triceps, but the slugger could return in a designated hitter role this weekend.

“He’s feeling better, but he’s going to need another day or two,” Scioscia said. “If he’s ready to swing the bat before he’s ready to play the field, he will DH.”

Catcher Mike Napoli (strained right hamstring) also ran the bases again Friday and could make his first start since July 28 this weekend.

On further review by the Elias Sports Bureau, the American League record for consecutive games with a run batted in is 14, set by Tris Speaker of the Philadelphia A’s in 1928. The record was thought to be 13, by Chicago’s Taft Wright (1941) and Kansas City’s Mike Sweeney (1999).

Garret Anderson’s RBI single in the first inning Friday night gave him RBIs in 12 straight games, a franchise record. The major league record is 17, set by the Cubs’ Ray Grimes in 1922.

The Angels received their preliminary 2008 schedule from Major League Baseball on Friday, and a source confirmed they will not be opening the season in Japan. There was speculation they might open with a series against the Red Sox in Japan.

The Angels’ Sept. 22 home game against Seattle, originally scheduled for 6 p.m., has been moved to 12:55 p.m. to accommodate Fox television. . . . Jered Weaver, Howie Kendrick and Reggie Willits will sign autographs today from 11:30 to 1 p.m. at the Linder’s furniture store at 3303 Hyland Ave. in Costa Mesa.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com