TORONTO — Cade Povich was torn.

He made the Orioles out of camp, earning his first spot on an opening day roster and the honor of being the starter for Monday’s home opener. But now he had a major decision to make. To begin not only his season but the first game of the year at Camden Yards, which song should he warm up to?

The way he saw it, he had two options. “The Real Slim Shady,” a play off the alter ego that helped him find confidence in his rookie season. Or “Piano Man,” the song he used during his starts at the end of last season.

He took to an X poll, asking fans to give their takes. A lot rides on this — whatever he picks will set the tone for his sophomore campaign, a year when he hopes to solidify himself as a member of the Orioles’ rotation.

“Very excited,” he said. “I guess it’s kind of the second-best option to opening day. I mean, to have the first game at home is pretty special and pretty exciting.”

The rotation spot for Povich opened when Grayson Rodriguez went on the injured list with elbow inflammation during spring training. Rodriguez had a cortisone injection and is starting his season ramp-up from scratch. He threw a bullpen session Sunday, but it’s unknown how long he’ll be out. However long it is, this will be Povich’s chance to show he deserves a starting job.

Povich made his MLB debut in June, pitching to a 6.27 ERA in his first seven starts before being optioned. He returned in August under the alias Slim, a more confident starter thanks to the help of Corbin Burnes’ mental skills coach. He posted a 2.60 ERA in his final five starts of the season, walking just eight batters in 27 2/3 innings.

It was a good end to his rookie season, but he knew he needed to do more over the winter. So he hit the weight room — alas not quite enough to shed the Slim allegations — and, as his trainer Joe Servais reminded him, focused on eating more. Povich trains with a small pro group in Omaha, Nebraska, that includes Toronto’s Alan Roden, Atlanta’s Aaron Bummer and Houston’s Jake Meyers. With the exception of Roden, who made his debut this weekend against the Orioles, all, including Servais, have multiple years of service time, and Povich modeled his strength workouts off theirs.

Povich also spent this winter playing around with a new pitch — a kick changeup. At the start of the offseason, Orioles pitching coach Drew French sent him a video of San Francisco’s Hayden Birdsong throwing it. The kick change — or spike change as it’s sometimes referred to — gets its name from the grip the pitcher uses. The middle finger bends on the seam so only the tip of the finger is touching.

The goal is to create more depth and spin without requiring as much pronation — Birdsong’s kick change had a negative vertical break last season.

“It’s going to look like it’s in the [strike] zone a lot longer, a lot more similar to a fastball,” Povich said. “The hope is that it finishes more down. I think last year there’s a tendency for me to leave it up a little too much. Just have something that finishes more down is kind of the priority.”

Povich even brought a net with him on his honeymoon so he wouldn’t lose progress. While his wife slept in, Povich practiced with the beautiful scenery of St. Mark’s and St. Bart’s in the background.

By the time spring training started, he felt confident enough in the new grip to use it in games. The results were mixed, and he’s still tinkering with the right approach.

“There were some that were really nasty but [I] couldn’t control. There were some that I could control but couldn’t really do anything,” Povich said. “So kind of finding a balance and understanding that I know I can throw it nastier but there’s a trade-off where it might not play over the plate as much. So it’s still, I think, better than last year, still improved, so happy with where it’s at.”

He plans to debut that pitch Monday. But, as for which song will be playing as he prepares to do so, he’s keeping that a surprise.

“I think it’ll be pretty good,” he said with a smirk.