Struggling Figgins gets day off

Chone Figgins is still feeling some discomfort from the fractures on the index and middle fingers of his throwing hand, injuries that sidelined him for the first month of the season.

But Manager Mike Scioscia’s decision not to start Figgins on Thursday had more to do with the third baseman’s mental than physical well-being. Figgins is batting .121 in 16 games, he’s hitless in his last 15 at-bats, he’s committed three errors, and his throws have been erratic.

“He’s obviously been grinding,” Scioscia said. “We want to give him a day to let a little air out, relax, and then come back and get after it.”

Figgins feels like he’s put together a few good at-bats, “but my timing is a little off,” he said. “I have to realize I did miss a month.

”... There are certain pitches you know you can do things with, and I haven’t done much with them. I’m not chasing balls in the dirt, but I’ve swung through a few balls I’d normally hit.”

Early in May, Scioscia thought Figgins was hitting the ball hard with few hits to show for it.

“But lately, he doesn’t seem to have a feel in the box, and he’s searching for some things defensively,” Scioscia said. “He needs to find some rhythm at the plate and in the field.” Is he struggling defensively “because of pain, or because he’s not finding his release point? On the practice field, he’s fine. He needs to carry that rhythm into the game.”

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News that former Angels closer Troy Percival is considering a comeback after missing most of 2005 and all of 2006 because of a forearm injury was greeted with much fanfare in the Angels clubhouse.

“Uh-oh,” closer Francisco Rodriguez said. “I better put zeroes on the board. I don’t want to lose my job.”

Said setup man Scot Shields: “I told Bartolo [Colon] he might have to give up that No. 40.”

The relievers could be getting ahead of themselves just a bit. While the Angels are supportive of Percival and open to the idea of the 37-year-old returning, “there are a lot of things he’ll have to overcome before he pitches in the big leagues,” Scioscia said. “I don’t know how he feels. I don’t know where his game is.”

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Interleague play begins its 11th season today, and though the novelty has worn off, Scioscia says he believes there is a strong sentiment among fans, especially in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, to keep it, and he remains a fan of it “as long as it doesn’t interrupt the integrity of the inter-division schedule.”

Scioscia is not happy that only 10 of the Angels’ final 20 games this year are against American League West foes Seattle, Oakland and Texas. The Angels have September series against Cleveland, Baltimore, Chicago and Tampa Bay, but Scioscia believes teams should play within their division for most of the final month.

“The schedule stinks this year,” Scioscia said. “It looks like they threw the teams up in the air, and wherever they landed, they said, go play.”

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John Lackey said his left ankle was “a little puffy, a little sore” Thursday after he twisted it on one play and took a Kenji Johjima liner off it on another Wednesday night. “But I’ll be OK,” the right-hander said.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com