Wada update

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

April 20, 2012, 5:27pm

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Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters in Anaheim that Tsuyoshi Wada is bothered by some neck stiffness, which tells me two things: Wada's stay on the disabled list could last longer than anticipated, and he's been hanging out with Nolan Reimold. Remember when lower back stiffness was all the rage? Wada's neck apparently was an issue before he gave up six runs in 2 2/3 innings yesterday for Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles must decide whether to give Wada another start on his injury rehab assignment or send him back to extended spring training and adjust his DL clock. There's no rush to activate Wada. He wasn't ready to enter the rotation when the team broke camp, and he's certainly not ready now. The Orioles can't option him to Norfolk without his permission, so he can make his minor league starts on this injury rehab assignment. They basically can accomplish the same goal. Meanwhile, Brian Matusz still needs to dial it up, but the ground beneath his feet might not be as shaky as reported, since Wada and Zach Britton aren't on the verge of being activated and the Orioles don't need to figure out how to make room for them.