Thank you for your replies, Simon. I'm fine with using smaller primes, I don't necessarily have to use zooms lenses. Yes, the base of the camera is annoying. I wish it was easier to mount to a tripod. I'm no professional, though, so it's good enough for me.
I had not considered trying to bend it back because I assumed that was out of the question. I thought it would be easier to just buy another plate and install it. I guess that's my main question. Is swapping the old plate out with a new one a straightforward task that I could attempt, or should I send it somewhere? Will everything be aligned once I mount the plate and tighten the centerpiece/2 screws, or is there some element that needs to be adjusted precisely? There's not much information online about this so I thought I'd ask the forum.