Speier troubled by his location

Location matters to Justin Speier when it comes to his pitches, not where he pitches.

The Angels reliever said Saturday that his recent struggles have more to do with where his pitches cross the plate than the inning in which they’re delivered.

“I don’t think the role part has played an influence at all,” said Speier, who has been supplanted by rookie Jose Arredondo as the Angels’ primary seventh-inning reliever. “I’ll pitch anywhere.”

Since compiling a 3.18 earned-run average in April, Speier has logged a 6.43 ERA the last two months. He has given up eight homers in 32 games this season after giving up only six homers in 52 games in 2007, his first season with the Angels.

And the right-hander is not nearly as tough on left-handed hitters as he was from 2005 to ‘07, when he held them to a .190 average. This season, left-handers are hitting .310 against Speier, with six homers in 58 at-bats.

“When you’re pitching well and you have your location where you need to, you’re going to get lefties or righties out,” said Speier, who noted that he struggled to command his forkball and slider earlier this season. “I feel like my last four or five times out, my location’s been where it needs to be.”

Even though Speier yielded a three-run homer to the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier on Friday, the reliever said he “felt like I made my pitches and threw the ball well. I made one mistake and he happened to hit it. Last year, he would have maybe fouled that pitch off or something.”

Manager Mike Scioscia says he hopes to see a second-half resurgence in which Speier pitches “as well as he can and see if he can join that group in the back end [of the bullpen] again.”

On the mend

Chone Figgins said he initially injured the left knee that has kept him out of the starting lineup the last two games when he slid into home plate two weeks ago against the Atlanta Braves.

The third baseman had the wound thoroughly cleaned and was able to play during the first six games of the Angels’ nine-game trip, but he said the swelling in the knee persisted and he eventually required a few antibiotic shots.

Scioscia said Figgins might be able to return to the starting lineup Monday when the Angels open a three-game series against Oakland at Angel Stadium.

In a pinch, indeed

The Angels’ bench was not constructed for extensive pinch-hitting duties, and it shows.

The team is hitless in 11 pinch-hit at-bats with one walk and one run batted in this season at National League stadiums, where pinch-hitting is a more crucial component of a team’s offense.

With a runner on first base and one out in the seventh inning Saturday, pinch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr. grounded into what would have been an inning-ending double play had shortstop Angel Berroa not committed a throwing error. But Figgins, pinch-hitting, grounded out to quell the threat.

Pinch-hitter Reggie Willits then struck out with two on and two out in the ninth.

“I don’t think we have anybody on our team that’s just a true pinch-hitter that’s comfortable with the role,” Scioscia said. “That’s not really what a lot of our bench is about.”

Short hops

Maicer Izturis was back in the starting lineup at third base after a five-game absence after running the bases aggressively to demonstrate that his tight right hamstring was no longer bothering him… . Outfielder Juan Rivera rejoined the team after returning to Miami earlier this week when his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child, a son. Rivera’s wife experienced bleeding complications during the delivery, he said, but both mother and child are doing well now.

 ben.bolch@latimes.com