GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Coming into the spring, it looked like Emmet Sheehan was the favorite to eventually secure the vacant fifth spot in the Dodgers¡¯ Opening Day starting rotation.

Sheehan was a bright spot for the Dodgers down the stretch last season and the young right-hander showed plenty of flashes at the big league level. That, paired with Walker Buehler starting the season on the injured list as he recovers from a second Tommy John surgery, had all the signs pointing towards Sheehan.

But after throwing a bullpen session early in camp, Sheehan hasn¡¯t been able to get on the mound due to right shoulder soreness. He hasn¡¯t faced live hitting all spring and manager Dave Roberts made it official on Saturday by announcing Sheehan will start the season on the 15-day injured list.

With Sheehan not available to start the season, the Dodgers have an open competition for that fifth spot in the rotation. The Dodgers, of course, have time given they don¡¯t have to land on a final decision until the first week of the regular season.

¡°We have some options,¡± Roberts said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re beholden to anything right now. Certainly, having the value of three or four innings is important. But we don¡¯t need to make that decision yet.¡±

Those options are a bit more clear at this point in the spring. Gavin Stone, Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Grove and Kyle Hurt are the pitchers with the best chances at nabbing that final spot. Grove made another case for himself on Saturday, striking out six over 3 1/3 scoreless innings against the defending champion Rangers in the Dodgers¡¯ 7-1 win at Camelback Ranch.

Grove has come up through the Minors as a starter and saw most of his time with the Dodgers last season in the rotation. The right-hander, however, also got work in the bullpen last season, making six relief appearances. As a reliever, Grove saw an uptick in velocity with his four-seam fastball and got more whiffs with his go-to slider.

¡°I¡¯m just trying to make the team,¡± Grove said. ¡°I don¡¯t make those types of decisions. It just depends a lot on who is healthy and what we look like as a team heading to Korea. So yeah. I¡¯m just going to keep trying to do my job when given the ball.¡±

Of the group, Yarbrough is the one with the most experience as a starter. But with the Dodgers not having a lot of left-handed options out of the bullpen, there is some value in keeping him in the 'pen in a swingman role, similar to his role when the Dodgers acquired him from the Royals in early August.

¡°Obviously, with Yarbrough in the ¡®pen, he can do different things,¡± Roberts said. ¡°But right now, it¡¯s still good to talk about potential depth, with not having to formalize that roster officially yet.¡±

Then there¡¯s Stone, who was the organization¡¯s second-ranked pitching prospect coming into last season. Stone struggled in limited time in the Majors, however, and was ultimately getting sent back down to Triple-A Oklahoma City after allowing seven runs on 10 hits against the Rays on May 28.

Once Stone returned in September, he showed glimpses of why he was a top prospect. A tipping issue was ultimately behind some of Stone¡¯s struggles, which have been resolved this spring. With one or two more solid starts before the domestic Opening Day on March 28, it could very well be Stone who secures that spot in the rotation, at least until Sheehan or Buehler return.

But as the Dodgers get set to fly across the world to Seoul, South Korea, they can afford to wait on making that decision.

¡°I don¡¯t know who is gonna start that game,¡± Roberts said. ¡°We¡¯re still evaluating. But I think [Stone and Grove are] having really good springs.¡±