Rather than uninstall\install fully some have said to use the offload app feature which removes the app but not the data so when you reinstall the app its as it was.
Unfortunately that (and a full uninstall/reinstall) hasn't worked either. It's the Google apps (especially Maps), that were supposedly updated to support this but still aren't showing as an option.
I'm sure you're referring to the larger widgets, which, like you said, default to left alignment. But the small ones do default to center alignment. In my situation I wish you could have two small ones and have them on the far left and far right so they don't impede the photo on the lockscreen... 🤷♂️