Tub Faucet Handle goes back too far when turned off

My Delta roman tub faucet handle goes back too far when it is turned off. I tried to take the decorative base off (screws) and now that is stuck. I put wd40 in the thread area but it still won’t move. So I have two questions. 1) how do I get the handle aligned correctly? 2) if the handle repairs requires me to take the base off, how can I get it unstuck? I know that it screws off because I removed the one for the hot water easily