Which of these 5 will join the Angels' rotation?

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The backend of the Angels’ rotation is in flux with right-hander Griffin Canning set to open the season on the injured list after receiving a PRP injection in his elbow on Friday.

With veterans Andrew Heaney, Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy locked into the rotation, the Angels could have two spots up for grabs, unless they decide to open with four starters because of off-days early in the season.

Right-hander Félix Peña is also slated to begin the season on the IL after undergoing right knee surgery last August, leaving right-handers Matt Andriese and Jaime Barria and lefties Patrick Sandoval, Jose Suarez and Dillon Peters as those competing for rotation spots. All five have Minor League options and can be sent freely to the Minors, while only Andriese or Peters would be considered for the bullpen.

Here's a look at those five candidates and how likely they are to be in the rotation once Opening Day comes on March 26 against the Astros in Houston:

RHP Matt Andriese**
2019 stats:** 5-5, 4.71 ERA, 70 2/3 IP, 79 K, 27 BB, 8 HR with D-backs
Spring Training stats: 1.00 ERA, 9 IP, 6 K, 1 BB, 1 HR

The skinny: Andriese, acquired in an offseason trade with the D-backs, pitched exclusively in relief last year and hasn’t been a regular rotation member since 2017. But he’s pitched well this spring and Angels manager Joe Maddon said they’re viewing him as a starter. The 30-year-old could fill in as a starter early in the year and then be moved to the bullpen.

Maddon’s take: "Love him. This guy has always had great pitchability. We overlapped a little bit with the Rays, but I didn't really get to work with him there. I watched him from a distance. This guy gets on a roll. He's a valuable member of a pitching staff because he can start and pitch out the bullpen. He has a great changeup that works to both sides to the plate. He’s kind of a tough guy out there. I’ve always liked the way he’s pitched."

RHP Jaime Barría
2019 stats: 4-10, 6.42 ERA, 82 2/3 IP, 75 K, 27 BB, 24 HR
Spring Training stats: 3.65 ERA, 12 1/3 IP, 8 K, 1 BB, 3 HR

The skinny: Barria, 23, couldn’t replicate his rookie season when he had a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts, as he struggled last year, but he came into camp 14 pounds lighter and has looked sharp on the mound. He nearly made the Opening Day roster last year and could make it this season if he continues to pitch well. His big change is incorporating more two-seamers, which he utilized more as a rookie.

Maddon’s take: “If he throws less two-seamers to [lefties] and more to [righties], we really believe that’s going to make you better, so we’ve undergone that exercise with him. But I think because it's straight sometimes, pitchers underestimate the four-seam fastball. It looks straight, but they don’t understand that the hitter has a hard time catching up with that.”

LHP Patrick Sandoval
2019 stats: 0-4, 5.03 ERA, 39 1/3 IP, 42 K, 19 BB, 6 HR
Spring Training stats: 3.60 ERA, 5 IP, 5 K, 3 BB, 0 HR

The skinny: Sandoval showed flashes in his first taste of the Majors and is looking to prove he can stick in the Majors. The 23-year-old missed time early with flu-like symptoms but should have enough time to catch up with the other pitchers. He remains in the mix but would be sent to Triple-A Salt Lake if he doesn’t make the roster.

Maddon’s take: "It’s like the Bugs Bunny changeup. It just stops between the mound and the plate. He’s got plenty of fastball, and he’s a really good athlete. I’m a big fan. He could say in advance that he’s throwing a changeup and the hitter is still going to have a hard time with it.”

LHP Jose Suarez
2019 stats: 2-6, 7.11 ERA, 81 IP, 72 K, 33 BB, 23 HR
Spring Training stats: 1.13 ERA, 8 IP, 9 K, 2 BB, 0 HR

The skinny: Suarez, 22, endured a rough rookie season and showed he wasn’t quite ready for the Majors while also dealing with shoulder tightness. But he remains a talented lefty with a plus-changeup and the Angels believe he can bounce back. He remains more likely to get more seasoning at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Maddon’s take: “He’s really interesting. Here’s a kid that I know struggled when he got up, but he’d just jumped through the Minor League system. He’s eventually going to look up here like he did down in the Minor Leagues. Last year was the anomaly moment, whatever you saw in the Major Leagues.”

LHP Dillon Peters
2019 stats: 4-4, 5.38 ERA, 72 IP, 55 K, 26 BB, 18 HR
Spring Training stats: 1.23 ERA, 7 1/3 IP, 6 K, 1 BB, 0 HR

The skinny: Peters was a pleasant surprise for the Angels last year until struggling down the stretch in September. But he offers versatility, as he could be used as a starter or in relief, much like Andriese. The Angels don’t have any lefties projected to be in their bullpen and Peters could fill that role if he’s not in the rotation.

Maddon’s take: "He pitches with a lot of confidence. Can get a righty out. He knows what he's doing and he's not afraid, and those are the two big things about him that I really appreciate. He's one of those guys that's versatile. Definitely capable of starting, definitely capable of coming in the middle of the ballgame as a left-hander and maybe turning the batting order around."