By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LOS ANGELES - It's looking more and more like Austin Kearns' season may be over.

Kearns had to cut short his rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Chattanooga.

"He's reported increased pain in the second game he played down there," Reds trainer Mark Mann said. "(Wednesday night), it kept him up all night."

Kearns flew back to Cincinnati. He'll work with assistant trainer Lonnie Soloff over the weekend, and then be examined by team medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek on Monday.

Season-ending surgery is a distinct possibility.

"We've always said surgery was the last option," Mann said. "We've tried to avoid it at all costs. But the longer it goes, the more likely we'll make that determination."

The injury occurred on May 21, when Atlanta reliever Ray King fell on Kearns when he tried to score from third on a wild pitch.

Kearns missed one game and then tried to play through the injury. It simply did not improve and his production dropped severely. He hit .309 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI in the 45 games before the injury. He hit .208 with two homers and 14 RBI in the 37 games after the injury.

He last played on July 9. He was on a strength and conditioning program for nearly a month before starting the rehab in Chattanooga.

He went 1-for-5 in three games there.

If he has the surgery in the next week or so, Mann said, Kearns would be 100 percent by the start of spring training.

That would also probably be the case if he had it after the season ended.

"But if he has to have surgery," Mann said, "we'd rather have it sooner than later."