Hundley making progress

A’s catcher Nick Hundley is progressing more quickly than expected after going on the injured list with back spasms and then having a minor knee cleanup procedure.

The former Giants backup said Thursday that he believes he will begin a rehab assignment in about 10 days. He caught his first bullpen session since going on the injured list June 8, and when the A’s head to Seattle for a weekend series, Hundley will go to Arizona to continue to get in baseball activity at the team’s minorleague complex.

“The knee, you thought, would take longer and the back was pretty severe, too,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I’m surprised at how he’s come along.”

The A’s went from essentially one healthy catcher on the 40man roster when Hundley was hurt to four now: righthandedhitting Josh Phegley and Hundley, and lefthandedhitting Chris Herrmann and

Beau Taylor. Herrmann, who hit a grand slam Tuesday in his first game with the A’s after coming off the IL, was 4for4 Thursday. Taylor performed well most of June. Phegley got off to a hot start, batting .287 with seven homers in his first 44 games. He since has cooled, hitting .208 with two homers in the past 25 games.

Everyone but Taylor is out of options, so when Hundley is ready to come off the IL next month, the A’s seem likely to designate a catcher for assignment, meaning performance will be at even more of a premium for the group. Hundley is hitting .200 with two homers and a .590 OPS, his lowest mark in seven years, and has hit into seven double plays in 70 atbats.

Until Herrmann injured his knee during the spring, the team had planned to go with Hundley and Herrmann to open the season, but Phegley’s offensive contributions the first two months might change that equation. Whatever the case, the A’s would have difficulty sneaking any of the catchers through waivers.

Dog days: Reliever Ryan Buchter had his miniature Australian shepherd, Bruno, in the clubhouse Thursday, and Bruno also will be on the threeday trip to Seattle, thanks to Melvin, who’d heard that Buchter’s family has left for the AllStar break and that the reliever was considering finding a dog walker to come to his place while the team is gone.

Melvin suggested that Buchter just bring Bruno on the team charter instead of leaving him behind, and team travel secretary Mickey Morabito OK’d it.

Bruno, who is 4½ years old, celebrated by bounding around the Coliseum outfield during the pitchers’ pregame workouts.