TEMPE, Ariz. — At age 34 and coming off another injury-marred season, Justin Upton was asked what it would take for him to get back to the type of player he had been in his prime.

“If you could shave off a couple years, that would be a nice start,” Upton quipped. “If I can stay on the field, I’ll produce. That’s the name of the game. Health.”

Last season, Upton played 89 games and hit .211 with a .705 OPS and 17 homers. That included a monthlong stretch in which he hit .333 with a 1.040 OPS. He then hurt his back and went on the injured list. He returned to action, struggled, and hurt his back again. He said the back issues lingered “a couple months” into the offseason.

Still, he said he had plenty of time to get ready because he normally doesn’t start doing baseball activity until later in the winter. And of course, this year the offseason dragged on an extra month because of the lockout.

He said it’s too soon to judge how he’ll be physically or with his swing.

“The first week of spring training always feels terrible, so I can’t really tell,” he said. “It looks good so far.”

As for how Upton fits into the Angels’ plans, so far the team has been noncommittal.

Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh can also play the corner outfield spots. Adell and Upton are right-handed hitters and Marsh hits left-handed. Marsh is the best defensive player, while Adell and Upton have had issues in the outfield.

The Angels are also adding another possibility by having Upton work out at first base this spring. He briefly began that in August, but soon after he got hurt and missed the rest of the season.

Manager Joe Maddon said third-base coach Phil Nevin, a former infielder, was encouraged by the early work.

“Nev kind of likes it,” Maddon said. “Justin started out as a shortstop years ago. He does not mind being on the dirt at all. So it’s an interesting potentiality. Throughout the rest of his career, I think it could be really helpful.”

The Angels have an All-Star first baseman in Jared Walsh, but he had a .565 OPS against lefties last season, down from .994 against righties. Upton had a .838 OPS against lefties, compared with .652 against righties.

The Angels certainly wouldn’t make it a full-time platoon, but it could provide an option when the Angels rest Walsh against the toughest left-handed pitchers.

“Versatility in general is important and trying to be as versatile as we can be as a club only makes Joe’s job easier,” general manager Perry Minasian said.

OHTANI IN THE OUTFIELD

Shohei Ohtani took some fly balls in right field during workouts Friday. Last season, the Angels put Ohtani into the outfield seven times, usually so he could get another at-bat after he was done pitching. He did not have a fly ball hit to him in any of his 8 1/3 innings in the outfield.

Maddon said it was not his idea to have Ohtani practice in the outfield.

“Not at all,” Maddon said. “That was him.”

MORE ARMS?

After Minasian finished the deals for free-agent relievers Archie Bradley and Ryan Tepera, he was asked about adding more arms, and he repeated his mantra.

“Never have enough,” he said. “That’s something that we’re still still trying to improve. And whether that’s rotation or bullpen, we’ll still look for opportunities to do that.”

At this point, any rotation additions would likely come via trade. Luis Castillo, Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are the best starters who are seemingly available. Manaea, a left-hander from the Oakland A’s, is a free agent at the end of the 2022 season, so he would likely be the easiest to acquire of that group. Montas and Castillo each have two years of control remaining, so the Angels would definitely need to part with at least one top prospect to get either.

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When asked specifically if he was pursuing any help at shortstop, Minasian said: “Looking at all areas. We’re still very active in a lot of areas. That’s something we’ll continue to do throughout the spring and into the season.”

NOTES

The Angels designated Kyle Tyler for assignment to create a spot on the 40-man roster for Tepera. …

When Carlos Correa agreed to a $35.1-million average annual value deal with the Minnesota Twins, he surpassed Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon as the highest-paid infielder in major-league history. Rendon’s deal is worth $35 million per season.