TEMPE, Ariz. -- First baseman Jared Walsh is coming off a breakout season in which he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. He had trouble against left-handers, however, so the Angels are trying to find ways to pair a right-handed hitter with him.

Walsh, 28, absolutely mashed against righties in 2021, batting .333/.405/.589 with 19 homers and 68 RBIs in 393 plate appearances, but against lefties, he hit just .170/.208/.357 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs in 192 plate appearances.

Without a true backup first baseman on the roster, veteran outfielder Justin Upton has been seeing time at first base this spring, including on Monday against the A’s at Tempo Diablo Stadium. Infielders Matt Duffy and Jack Mayfield can also handle first base while outfielder Taylor Ward has some experience at the position.

"We have options," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. "Duffy is a very good first baseman. [Third-base coach Phil] Nevin told me the other day that Duffy can play first base. Mayfield also needs opportunity to get into the lineup. So we may have situations where we balance between righties and lefties."

Maddon, though, said the Angels haven’t decided if Walsh will exclusively sit against lefties or if he’ll get some chances to prove himself. Walsh did fare better against lefty starters -- slashing .217/.258/.452 in 167 plate appearances -- indicating he had more trouble against lefty relievers.

“Opportunity is going to be based on his adjustments,” Maddon said. “I have a lot of faith in him. I've talked about his hands in the past. He just has to make an adjustment against lefties. He'll get an opportunity, but he'll have to present himself in a positive way."

Upton, who is in the last year of his contract and is set to earn $28 million this year, is the wild card. He’s been seeing action at first in Minor League games, though he is still considered more of an outfielder. Maddon said Upton, 34, has been working hard, both in the field and at the plate. He played first base in a Minor League game on Sunday and homered twice, walked twice and singled. He also homered in a "B" game on Friday.

“I know he had a good day at the plate and he’s getting really comfortable there,” Maddon said. “He’s excited about it and doing well. He’s been the guy grabbing us for the work. I think he looks lean, [is] in great shape and his attitude is spectacular.”

• Upton ready to contribute wherever Angels need him

Early team meeting
Maddon said he only holds team-wide meetings a few times a year -- before the start of the season, before the All-Star break and before the postseason -- but he opted to host his Opening Day meeting on Monday even though the regular season doesn’t start until April 7.

Maddon wanted to reiterate to the club his expectations for the season and how important getting off to a good start will be as the Angels aim to make the postseason for the first time since 2014.

"It was my Opening Day meeting and it was the perfect time to do it," Maddon said. "I think meetings are really impactful. I wanted to indicate that this week is the first week of the season, and next week will be the second week. There’s no ifs, ands or buts, we’ve got to be better in our division, and a good start can make all the difference in the world. I don’t want us to break the season in neutral."

Angels make first roster cuts of Spring Training
The Angels trimmed their Spring Training roster by 12 players, optioning lefty Jhonathan Diaz, infielder Brendon Davis and reliever Elvis Peguero. The following players were reassigned to Minor League camp: Right-handers Davis Daniel, Luis Ledo and Daniel Ponce de Leon, infielders Kean Wong and Jake Gatewood, outfielder Dillon Thomas and catchers Anthony Mulrine, Kyle Lovelace and Zach Humphreys.