Phegley activated; A's carrying three catchers

ARLINGTON -- A's catcher Josh Phegley was reinstated Friday from the seven-day concussion disabled list, giving the A's three catchers on the 25-man roster. Phegley was hit in the mask by a foul tip on May 3 and left that game shortly after.
Phegley sustained a concussion in September 2015 that caused him to miss the final two weeks of the regular season. He said the most recent injury was "not even close" to being as severe as the 2015 concussion, though he did feel "foggy" in the dugout between innings.
"I had very similar symptoms on Day One, which kind of gave me the indication that there was an issue, but it took me probably two weeks for it to go away last time," Phegley said. "This was like a day and a half, two days, and I felt back to normal.
"I think it was smart to get me out of there when I did. I could have taken another foul tip and that could have done a lot more damage."
Phegley went to extended spring training while he was out, catching two games and serving as designated hitter in another. He got 15 at-bats over those three days.
"I feel great," Phegley said. "I thought I had some good at-bats down there, saw the ball pretty well, put some good swings on it, got my share of hits down there. So I feel ready to go."
Phegley joins catchers Stephen Vogt and Bruce Maxwell on the A's active roster, which was a man short after they optioned pitcher Jharel Cotton to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday. Maxwell also was hit in the mask by a foul tip, leaving the game Wednesday, but manager Bob Melvin said Maxwell had passed the concussion protocol and was available for Friday night's game against the Rangers.

The three-catcher scenario may not last long, with left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea set to return from the disabled list Monday. Regardless, Melvin is happy to have Phegley back.
"Phegley was really playing well. He was swinging the bat well," Melvin said. "He always does a nice job behind the plate. It's good to have him back. The three-catcher dynamic allows me to make some moves in-game that [I'm] a little more comfortable with. … When left-handers come out of the bullpen, he's a guy we use."