i tried to check the code for auto_explain , there is nothing that helps understand why it was provided as a separate .
Probably because output to log was easier than reworking the internals to make output to client happen.
If you are interested in working on a patch to address your use case I say go for it. Designing the inputs and outputs actually doesn't seem that challenging, if exceptionally vulnerable to bike-shedding. But I imagine the internals are quite a different matter.
