PHOENIX -- The Giants almost surely won't open the regular season with three catchers, though Tim Federowicz probably is making them wish they could.
Federowicz, who has spent parts of five seasons in the Major Leagues, increased his Cactus League batting average to .310 by hitting an RBI single in three at-bats Sunday as the Giants fell to the Chicago White Sox, 4-3.
Federowicz also is skilled behind the plate, as he showed Sunday with his handling of rookie Ty Blach. Federowicz collaborated with Blach on inducing two double plays and rebounding from a two-run fifth inning to work a scoreless sixth.
Federowicz's main obstacle is Nick Hundley, who's a more experienced and offensively proven backup catcher. The Giants signed Federowicz almost two months before they signed Hundley, but nobody told general manager Bobby Evans to stop building the best team possible.
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Noting that Evans consulted him after Hundley was obtained, Federowicz indicated that he could have asked to be set free. But he opted for the challenge.
"I just basically told [Evans] that I was going to stay and try to make a good impression on him, and I think I've done that," Federowicz said.

Federowicz realizes that he probably won't learn his fate with the Giants until late this week. If another team wants him, Evans won't stand in his way.
"He's been straight-up with me," Federowicz said. "If another opportunity comes up, he understands if I'd want to leave, and he'd be willing to let me go."
Federowicz, a career .194 hitter in the Majors, said that watching veterans such as Buster Posey and Aaron Hill settle into their legs -- an often-ignored technical aspect -- has helped him improve his swing.
"They really get in their base, and I started to mimic it and get more comfortable with it," Federowicz said. "I feel like I'm more grounded. It helps a lot in recognizing pitches and staying balanced."
Worth noting
• Giants manager Bruce Bochy explained that Tyler Beede's start at Oakland in Saturday's finale of the Bay Bridge Series is a move calculated to bolster Beede's poise. The 23-year-old right-hander, who will begin the season at Triple-A Sacramento, is San Francisco's top pitching prospect and could join the Giants sooner rather than later.
"You try to get them comfortable, especially when they're knocking on the door, so when they get called up, they're not so in awe of everything," Bochy said.
• Third baseman Eduardo Nunez, striving to heal his sore right shoulder in time for Sunday's season opener at Arizona, said that he expects to play catch at a 120-foot distance Monday, up from 90 feet. Playing defense Tuesday against the Cubs is questionable, he added, but it's extremely possible early during the Bay Bridge Series, which begins Thursday.
Nunez hit a two-run double as Giants' DH on Sunday.

• The Giants committed a couple of baserunning mistakes Sunday, including Jae-gyun Hwang's improper break from a base and James Rollins being thrown out as he attempted to stretch a double into a triple. "Those are the things we have to clean up. They happened too much last year," Bochy said.