David Ginsburg of the AP reports that Kris Benson is experiencing more soreness in his torn rotator cuff, meaning the likelihood of Benson having surgery and missing the season is increasing.
Well, no shit. It's a torn rotator cuff. Benson was really testing the limits trying to pitch through this injury, and while you can say it's a gung-ho effort from him, you can also say that it's simply a matter of Benson not wanting to forfeit the last guaranteed season of his contract.
And of course, business is business from both sides, but the truth is, I'd rather have crappy Steve Trachsel or toss-up prospect Hayden Penn taking the ball every fifth day over a guy with a serious shoulder injury. Benson pitching with this condition isn't going to benefit anyone. He's going to need that surgery eventually anyway, and it's probably better off for his career in the long run to take the short-term hit of probably not getting his option picked up, but getting healthy at the same time so that he doesn't run a serious risk of flat-out ending his career prematurely.
I really wish Kris Benson all the best with this situation, but get the surgery, dude. No one wants to see what an injured Kris Benson pitches like, because regular Kris Benson isn't anything to go nuts over, anyway.