SARASOTA, Fla. — Last week, against this same team, Cade Povich hit a wall in the fifth inning. It was his longest start of spring training yet, and the Toronto Blue Jays regulars finally broke though, tagging Povich for five runs before he was pulled.

Tuesday, then, marked a considerable test for Povich. He was facing a lineup full of Blue Jays starters once more, and many of them had just seen what the left-hander has to offer. That can be a tricky situation for even the most seasoned veterans — hitters can make better predictions about what the pitcher will throw in certain situations.

Povich was anything but predictable in his five standout innings Tuesday, however. As he continues to push for the Orioles’ fifth starter spot, Povich made his best case yet for why he deserves a place on the opening day roster.

Povich spun five no-hit innings, and while he walked three batters, he struck out six. Across his 14 2/3 innings this spring, Povich has struck out 15 batters with just those five runs in his last start against Toronto on his ledger.

That place in the rotation isn’t a lock. He’s still competing with right-hander Albert Suárez, and Suárez has performed well in his own right. Plus, the fact Povich has minor league options remaining could work against him. Should the Orioles feel the need to protect a different player, Povich can be stashed in Triple-A in the short term.

But it’s not out of realm of possibility that Povich just pitched his way into the rotation.

“Not many more opportunities, so if this is my last one, definitely try to leave it all out and, hopefully, give myself the best shot,” he said after his 81-pitch appearance.

Povich is in this position, with a legitimate chance at breaking camp with the major league club, because of an injury to right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. The inflammation around the back of Rodriguez’s elbow required a cortisone shot to address, and Rodriguez was shut down for 10 days before he threw for the first time Tuesday, at a 75-foot distance.

That puts Rodriguez well behind schedule, and the Orioles looked for other options to step up. Povich and Suárez were the internal options, although a source with direct knowledge of the situation said Baltimore also checked in on free agent right-hander Lance Lynn as a possible late addition to their camp competition about two weeks ago.

With the way Suárez and Povich have attacked their spring outings, however, an outside depth piece might not be required. Suárez, who next pitches Friday, allowed seven runs between his first two outings but has improved since then, with four runs in his next 12 2/3 innings.

Suárez is a versatile option for Baltimore. The 35-year-old did it all last season, his first back in the majors after stints in Korea and Japan. Povich, 24, is more well suited for a starting role, but he noted “nothing [is] really set in stone” regarding his role as the final week of spring training arrives.

Povich walked the first two batters he faced Tuesday, and his command was one area where he struggled at times during his rookie season. He walked 3.8 batters per nine innings across his 16 starts. But Povich showcased his strike-throwing down the stretch in September, when he posted a 2.60 ERA in five starts, and he has continued that during the spring.

After those two walks, Povich retired 11 straight batters before issuing a third and final free pass.

“I was really impressed with Cade today,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I didn’t think he had his command that first inning, but he really settled in nicely and made big pitches when he needed to, but I thought the stuff was good again.”

This week, when Povich reached the fifth inning against Toronto, he felt as though he and catcher Adley Rutschman did a better job of mixing which pitches he threw in which counts. His curveball, especially, was a weapon.

“Looks like he’s got feel for all of his pitches,” first baseman Ryan Mountcastle said.

That’s a good place for Povich to be. He might not receive another start this spring, with only five games remaining. But if that was his last one of camp, Povich made another statement.

He entered the spring on the outside of the rotation looking in. He is finishing it worthy of the position.