SAN DIEGO -- Instead of catching Pedro Martinez on Sunday, as he had been scheduled to do, Ramon Castro caught some heat -- from his manager. The Mets reserve catcher was removed from the starting lineup shortly after noon, shortly after he arrived at PETCO Park for the 4:05 p.m. ET game against the Padres. His late arrival was neither excused nor unnoticed.

Caught in the West Coast-East Coast time tunnel, Castro thought game time was 4:05 p.m. -- which it was on the East Coast, but 1:05 p.m. PT. The three-hour time difference got him, and his infraction embarrassed him.

"I was in the shower when [a hotel employee, contacted by the Mets] knocked on the door," he said. "It was 11:45. I was going to get here at 1."

Castro will be as fined. He didn't know how much. "It doesn't matter," he said. "I deserve it."

Raul Casanova started in Castro's stead. Regular catcher Brian Schneider was scheduled to be off because the Mets were to play a day game that was preceded by a night game. That Padres starter Wil Ledezma is left-handed played a small part in Willie Randolph's decision to start Casanova.

The start was Casanova's 13th. Castro, who began his season on May 9 after an extended assignment to the disabled list, was to have made his 10th start.