Tim Lincecum is both nervous and excited about making his Angels debut Saturday

Tim Lincecum flew into his old home Thursday night and entered the visiting clubhouse at the Oakland Coliseum at 3:50 p.m. Friday. He found his locker in the far corner, where it had always been when he pitched in interleague rivalries as a San Francisco Giant, and started to greet many men he had never met.

Here, at 1 p.m. Saturday, he will face the Oakland Athletics in his first major league start in 51 weeks. Asked whether he felt nervous or excited for his Angels debut, Lincecum laughed.

“I’ve got all of that going on right now,” he said. “I’m nervous about being with a new team and showing what I’ve got. I’m trying to live up to my own expectations, though.”

On Friday, Lincecum revealed little about his expectations. When he first signed last month, he said he wanted mostly to finish the season healthy. When he debuted as an Angel in extended spring training, he said that was not all he planned, but he has not said what kind of performance he expects from himself.

Lincecum, who turned 32 on Wednesday, had a 2.98 earned-run average from 2007 to 2011. He has a 4.68 ERA since, hampered by declining velocity and hip instability that has since been surgically repaired.

“I wouldn’t say I’m back the way I used to be, but pretty close,” Lincecum said. “I just feel a little bit more confident in my stuff. I had been a little apprehensive trying to get out there on the hip the same way that I had been before. That’s what I found my last few starts.”

Lincecum requested a third triple-A start before he returned to the majors, and even he noted the series of coincidences that has governed his rehab trail to date. First he pitched in Tacoma, Wash., near his Seattle home, then in Reno, Nev., and Fresno, near his adopted home of San Francisco. Now, it will be Oakland, with Giants fans expected to travel en masse across the Bay Bridge to watch.

“I’ll be lucky in that regard,” Lincecum said.

Upon arrival and immediate greetings, Lincecum met with Angels Manager Mike Scioscia and then sat in on the club’s start-of-series pitchers meeting. He talked to reporters, then pitching coach Charles Nagy, and then shagged balls during batting practice.

“I’m sure Tim’s going to be excited,” Scioscia said. “I think he feels really good with where he is, health-wise. I think it’s just going to be a matter of getting into the game flow. I know there’s going to be some emotions he’s gonna deal with, but I think it’s gonna be excitement more than anything.”

Lincecum said he wore himself out early in his first two starts for Salt Lake. Only in his last outing did he feel comfortable throughout.

“I think I needed to get in those situations, though,” he said. “And work myself out of them -- to know that I could.”

Said Scioscia: “Hopefully he’ll find it quicker here. Once he does, he’s shown he can be very effective.”

Short hops

The Angels activated left fielder Daniel Nava from the 15-day disabled list and optioned right-hander Al Alburquerque back to triple-A Salt Lake. They will likely option an outfielder, either Todd Cunningham or Shane Robinson, to Salt Lake when they activate Lincecum on Saturday. Nava, who had a strained groin, will start against most right-handers. … Right-hander Nick Tropeano will throw a four-inning simulated game at the Angels’ spring-training facility in Arizona on Saturday. He is at least a week away from returning to the majors, although he has not suffered a setback, according to Scioscia. Tropeano had said he was “100%” certain he would be ready to start when eligible to be activated Tuesday. … The Angels announced they have signed 28 of their 40 picks from last week’s draft, including four of their top five selections.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura