Figgins takes time to be reacquainted

Alfredo Griffin gathered his infielders around a table in the Angels’ clubhouse Monday afternoon to go over defensive positioning for the Kansas City Royals’ hitters. First, however, he had an introduction.

“Before we start, we have a new guy here,” the Angels coach said, pointing toward a smiling Chone Figgins.

Figgins really isn’t new, of course, since he led the Angels in at-bats each of the last two seasons. But Monday marked his first game this spring after two broken fingers on his right hand brought him a five-week stint on the disabled list. And he made his presence felt immediately, delivering a run-scoring double in his second at-bat.

“It was real hard. Probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through baseball-wise,” Figgins said of having to sit and watch his teammates play.

The switch-hitter batted .357 in a four-game rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Salt Lake City and said his right hand still pains him -- discomfort a team doctor told him could last most of the season.

“He said it’s going to be sore, but if I can play through it, then I can play,” Figgins said. “I’m very glad to be back. [But] it’s going to take a little time to get into it.”

Manager Mike Scioscia said that just having his spark plug back on the field makes the team better. Figgins is a .285 hitter over his career and led the American League in steals two years ago.

“Figgy brings energy to a lineup,” Scioscia said. “And it certainly adds depth when you have an offensive presence in the No. 9 hole.

“It gives us a lot of options, a lot of things to look at.”

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With left fielder Garret Anderson (sore right hip flexor) and infielder Maicer Izturis (right hamstring) out indefinitely, Scioscia continued to play with his lineup, moving Reggie Willits into the No. 2 spot, batting Erick Aybar sixth and, with the Royals pitching a left-hander, giving Robb Quinlan his second consecutive start.

“The bottom line is trying to find some continuity,” Scioscia said. “We’ve had to mix and match this last handful of games. When we score runs, it’s fun. When we don’t, it’s not.”

For some players, Scioscia’s mixing and matching has meant opportunity. Willits, for example, had gone 10 days between starts before Anderson was injured Friday. Now he’s working on a three-game hitting streak.

“You want to play every day,” Willits said. “I don’t know any player who doesn’t want to play every day. [And] every day I go out and play, I feel blessed.”

The lineup shuffling probably will continue until Howie Kendrick, the starting second baseman, returns from a broken bone in his left hand, giving Scioscia his first opportunity to start the batting order he had expected to have coming out of spring training. But that could take another month.

“That model is a model you work off of,” Scioscia said. “But your ideal lineup is going to be contingent on not only health but production. It’s going to be great to get those names on the lineup card somewhere.

“We have the potential to be a very dynamic offensive team. And we haven’t been able to really get to where we want to be because of some injuries.”

kevin.baxter@latimes.com