Once again, Kris Benson is on the mend. Benson is fully recovered from a groin strain he suffered on April 26th, and has begun to long-toss. Barring no additional setbacks, he’s scheduled to pitch this weekend in an extended spring training game.

Benson, who is attempting a return from rotator cuff surgery, has had some setbacks in his quest to return to the big leagues. In mid-March he was sidelined with bicep tendonitis.  This sidelined him for three weeks. After he began throwing, he was finally was ready for game action, and he made his debut in extended spring training.  Unfortunately he ended up straining his groin in the 3rd inning.

The original plan for Benson was for him to join the Phillies in mid-May. Given his setbacks, mid-June has become a more realistic option.

The best case scenario for Benson will work out like this. If Benson has a successful outing this weekend, he’ll have a couple more starts before playing in some minor league games. At that point, the Phillies will have to decide …