Scioscia is sticking with Hillenbrand

SEATTLE —  The Angels make a considerable financial commitment to a veteran with a good track record, the player remains in a deep offensive funk well into the season, and Manager Mike Scioscia sticks with the player for weeks, even months, confident his bat will come around.

Sound familiar? Angels fans can only hope the parallels between center fielder Steve Finley, the bust of 2005, and current designated hitter Shea Hillenbrand, who is hitting .217 with one home run, two doubles and eight runs batted in, end soon.

Finley, who signed a two-year, $14-million deal before 2005, hovered around the .215 mark for most of 2005, but it wasn’t until late August that Scioscia pulled him from the starting lineup for good. Finley was traded the following winter for third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo.

Hillenbrand, who signed a one-year, $6.5-million deal with the Angels last winter, has started 30 of the team’s 41 games, missing five games in early April because of a groin injury, and appears in no danger of losing his job, even though there are two attractive options -- Robb Quinlan and Kendry Morales -- on the bench.

“We evaluate the team constantly, and if there are options that make you better now and in the future, we’ll look at them,” Scioscia said. “But I’m still confident that Shea’s upside is our best option, and our goal is to see if Shea can be the player we think he can be. Shea swinging the bat to his potential is something this team needs.”

Hillenbrand, 31, entered 2007 with a .287 career average, and over the last five seasons he’s averaged 18 homers, 35 doubles and 82 RBIs.

His inability to drive the ball consistently, let alone get hits, would seem to put his job in jeopardy, but when asked if Hillenbrand’s leash was getting shorter, Scioscia said, “You don’t want to put a leash on him.... We know what Shea can bring when he’s swinging to his capabilities, and right now, we want to explore that.”

*

Chone Figgins is not only struggling at the plate -- he is hitless in his last 15 at-bats and is hitting .121 -- but the third baseman committed three errors in his first 16 games since missing the first month of 2007 because of fractures on the tips of the index and middle fingers of his throwing hand.

Figgins, whose throwing error in the first inning Tuesday allowed Seattle to score two runs, was also spared of two more errors Tuesday when Casey Kotchman and Morales each dug out low throws to first.

Figgins said the fingers are sore but blamed Tuesday’s errant throws on “a bad arm angle.” Scioscia said Figgins is “certainly searching for a release point, that’s obvious.... He’s a better player than what he’s shown.”

*

Garret Anderson, out since April 28 because of a tear in his right hip flexor tendon, has been taking batting practice and working in the outfield but hasn’t attempted to run even close to full speed. He may try to pick up the pace this weekend.

“I’ll test it when I feel like I can,” Anderson said. “I don’t know when that will be.”

*

The New York Yankees, looking to upgrade at backup catcher, have reportedly inquired about Angels reserve Jose Molina, but it’s doubtful the Yankees would offer the Angels a valuable enough piece for them to part with one of the league’s top defensive catchers.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com