O's trying to find way to keep Wada in Minors

BALTIMORE -- As the end of Orioles pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada's rehab assignment nears, the organization is negotiating a way to keep the left-hander in the Minor Leagues.

"I think they are working on it, I'm not sure if they have reached an agreement on extending his time down there," Orioles manager Buck Showlater said of Wada, whose 30-day rehab assignment will expire at the end of the week. "I'm not sure, but I think in order to do that, you have to take him off the [60-day DL].

Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said there wouldn't be an announcement on that front Thursday, but echoed Showalter's statement that the club is pursuing avenues to keep Wada -- who had Tommy John surgery last May -- progressing at Triple-A.

Typically, you could just activate the injured player and option them, but Wada's contract is structured so that he can't be sent to the Minors unless he consents to do so. So, it's an unusual situation but one that will be resolved in the next few days. Wada is 1-4 with an 8.14 ERA in six starts, allowing 26 runs (22 earned) on 33 hits and 13 walks with 20 strikeouts over 24 1/3 innings for Norfolk.

Wada signed a two-year, $8.14-million contract in December 2011 and has yet to throw a pitch for the Orioles.