SARASOTA, Fla. – The uncertainty that hangs over Orioles left-hander Cade Povich isn’t parting like the clouds.

He might break camp with the Orioles or be optioned. He might be under consideration for a bullpen role or keep developing as a starter in Triple-A.

The rotation is full unless injuries poke some holes in it. Povich is just focused on everything that he can control, including the number of outs recorded today.

Povich held the Twins to one run and one hit over 3 2/3 innings, with a walk and a strikeout. He registered nine groundball outs, the last two with his changeup before lefty Grant Wolfram replaced him in the fourth.

Manager Craig Albernaz removed Povich at 53 pitches.

“For myself, it’s all about trying to get better outing to outing, whether that’s me going three, four innings as a starter like today or coming out of the ‘pen for one or two,” Povich said. “I think my goal overall is just to continue trying to execute, and we have smart guys behind the scenes that’ll put me where they see I will help best help the team.”

Albernaz said this morning that Povich is on “the starter path,” but also added that “everything is on the table.”

“It’s one of those guys where we want to see where the starter Povich takes over and see where that goes development-wise,” Albernaz said. “But also with him, with his experience, we can always pivot and see what happens in the bullpen. But right now the forefront (is) starting role, and we’ll kind of see where things shake out.”

Povich doesn’t back down from the competition, wherever he finds it.

The pitchers act like they feed off it.

“It’s really good,” he said. “Everybody kind of being in competition with one another, it only makes each other better. I joked with Ef (Zach Eflin) when he came up to me when I came out that I saw he hit a couple 94s, so I had to step on the velo a little bit this time. But yeah, that’s just a small thing, us competing against each other, but also cheering for each other.

“I think that just makes the rotation and pitching staff overall better, whether it’s something like velocity or something like commanding pitches, controlling the zone. Like Alby says, winning at the line of scrimmage. I think it’s one thing if the competition is, ‘I’m trying to beat this guy’ and it’s not friendly, but this group of guys and this clubhouse, we’re competing but we’re also all cheering for each other.”

Povich issued a one-out walk to Luke Keaschall in the first inning, and a stolen base and Eric Wagaman two-out single gave the Twins a 1-0 lead. Keaschall broke early on Povich’s attempted pickoff throw and the Orioles failed to get the out at second.

Three grounders in the second enabled Povich to retire the side in order on 11 pitches after he threw 23 in the first.

Povich registered six consecutive ground ball outs on six different pitches – a changeup, fastball, curveball, sinker, cutter and sweeper. He struck out Austin Martin looking at a cutter before Keaschall slapped a sweeper at shortstop Wehiwa Aloy to end the third inning.

“Would have liked to get a first-pitch out and been a little more efficient in the first inning, but that’s kind of the game plan is to attack guys, get ahead, win some early count leverage, and then you can kind of go to different pitches to get ground balls and get guys to get themselves out,” said Povich, who tossed two scoreless innings with one hit allowed on Feb. 23 versus the Braves.

Commanding the edges got him a few ABS calls and made it much harder for the Twins to find the barrel.

“That was the big thing this offseason was just command with the fastball and really command with all the pitches, being a little more fluid in my delivery, making everything a little bit more easy,” Povich said. “Just keeping pitches competitive, being able to control the four quadrants and really just execute.”

Wolfram followed Povich today with 1 1/3 scoreless innings to give him five in his five appearances.

Twins right-hander Mick Abel shut out the Orioles on two hits, singles by Thairo Estrada and Adley Rutschman, in four innings. He faced the minimum number of batters Aloy and Pete Alonso grounded into double plays.

Aloy singled up the middle with two outs in the sixth and Heston Kjerstad homered to left field at 105.1 mph, his second of spring training. He flied out to the left field warning track in his previous at-bat.

Blaze Alexander made his first start in center field and lost his glove over the fence while attempting a leaping catch of Brooks Lee’s fly ball. Lee ended up with a triple and Alexander scaled the wall to retrieve his glove.

Lee scored on James Outman’s single against Dietrich Enns.

Coby Mayo had a diving catch at third base to rob Victor Caratini and end the sixth, and he lined an RBI double to left field at 102.7 mph in the seventh to give the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Mayo is 8-for-19 (.421) with three doubles and five RBIs

*Over at North Port, Luis De León tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings against the Braves. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two. Cameron Weston had three scoreless innings in relief with one hit, one walk and four strikeouts.

Reed Trimble was caught stealing after going 61-for-61 in the minors. But he singled and doubled.

Update: The Orioles held on for a 3-2 win. Minor leaguer Zane Barnhart recorded the save.

Here’s Albernaz on Povich’s outing: “I think the results showed the mix, right? He did a good job of changing speeds and keeping them keeping them off balance, which led to those ground balls. Yeah, it was a very encouraging outing for Cade.”

Albernaz on Kjerstad: “That at-bat was awesome. Tough lefty, stayed in there and drove the crap out of it to left-center field. That was a really impressive at-bat and swing, and that’s what Heston can do. That’s the talent he has and that’s what he’s capable of.”

Albernaz on Mayo: “He looked good today. Like something we talked about with his posture and throwing, and to see him take it on the field today is awesome. We know it’s in there, so have him keep building off that. But yeah, a couple tough plays for him and he handled them well.”

Albernaz on Alexander in center field and the glove retrieval: “That was awesome. Yeah, jumping the fence, scaling the fence. He looked good out there. It was good to get him out there, get his bearings out in center field, and he did a good job patrolling center field.”

Aloy on playing shortstop in major league spring training: “I felt good defensively, felt comfort able over there. Just making the routine plays.”

Aloy on getting the opportunity: “It’s a good experience that pretty much will help me in my career. Just playing with the big league guys, it’s an honor.”