"Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton tested his balky left shoulder in a simulated game environment Tuesday in Tucson and came away reporting no problems, General Manager Kevin Towers said.

"He didn't feel anything," Towers said. "Everything went well."

Upton missed all but five games in September due to shoulder soreness stemming from a labrum strain suffered four years ago.

Also Tuesday, the Diamondbacks interviewed their minor-league hitting coordinator, Dave Hansen, for the major-league hitting-coach job.

Hansen, who played parts of 15 seasons in the big leagues, was a career .260 hitter and was known primarily for his pinch-hitting ability.

His career included two stints under Towers, then the Padres' GM, in San Diego. He served as Double-A Mobile's hitting coach in 2007 and later that year was named the organization's hitting coordinator.

Diamondbacks pro scout Mike Brown will be among those to interview for the pitching-coach vacancy, Towers said. Brown, who pitched parts of six seasons in the majors, was the Indians' pitching coach in 2002 and spent time as a coach in Japan.

Towers said the club has begun calling other teams to ask permission to speak with candidates for the vacant coaching-staff positions and the scouting director's job and hopes to conduct interviews in the next week to 10 days.

Towers said he "more than likely will not" ask the Padres permission to interview any current San Diego coaches or officials for positions with the Diamondbacks."