Title may be out of Guerrero’s zone

There’s no question Vladimir Guerrero is the best hitter in the Angels’ lineup. It’s hard to argue with a .325 lifetime average, six Silver Sluggers and a most-valuable-player award.

But can he finish the season as the best hitter in the American League? Angels Manager Mike Scioscia has his doubts, saying Guerrero’s aggressive, free-swinging style works against him.

“He’s got the potential, but it’s a challenge because he’s not going to take the walk,” Scioscia said of Guerrero, who started Friday second in the league with a .377 average. “There could be pitches out of the zone that he swings at. Vlade might end up with more aggregate hits but less of an average.”

Guerrero has finished third in a league batting race three times in the last seven years despite walking more than 61 times only once in that span. In 2002, when he was still in Montreal, Guerrero led the National League with 206 hits but lost the batting title to Barry Bonds, who had only 149 hits but drew nearly 200 walks.

“Guys that walk more, that maybe don’t challenge themselves to square up as many balls as Vlade does, might have a bit of an edge,” Scioscia said. “The one thing that Vlade does is he’s shown when he sees a pitch and he puts a swing on it, he squares it up more of the time. I’ve seen him hit some ball that you’re like, ‘You gotta be kidding me. How did he even get a swing on it?’ ”

*

Chone Figgins is proving he’s ready to return to the Angels’ lineup, getting three singles in his first six at-bats and even trying to steal home during a rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Salt Lake.

“He’ll play through the weekend and then we’ll see where he is on Monday,” Scioscia said of Figgins, who averaged 153 games each of the last three seasons but hasn’t played at all this year after fracturing the tips of two fingers in spring training.

*

Jered Weaver, who started the season on the disabled list because of biceps tendinitis, will be watched closely when he makes his third start of the season tonight.

The right-hander won his first nine decisions as a rookie last season en route to an 11-2 record, but he is 0-2, giving up seven runs while getting only five outs against the Detroit Tigers in his last start.

“He’s maybe trying to do a little too much with his breaking ball,” Scioscia said of Weaver, who has also lost some velocity off his fastball. “He’s going to work on just cleaning some stuff up. He’s going to be fine. He had a little bit of trouble maybe putting some guys away.”

*

The Angels got a brief look at slugger Jim Thome on Friday but probably won’t see him again this weekend after the White Sox designated hitter left the game after missing a first-inning pitch from Ervin Santana.

Thome had sat out Chicago’s previous two games because of a sore rib cage and was a surprise starter Friday given the chilly 51-degree temperature.

*

kevin.baxter@latimes.com