We may be seeing more of Ramon Castro in the lineup for the next few days, and not because Willie Randolph or Omar Minaya had anything to say about it.

With Paul Lo Duca’s doing his best Jack Nicholson in the Shining impression in his shin guard flying outburst last night, he probably will have to serve a suspension of some sorts, which means Castro will finally get some much needed at-bats. It’s about time.

After Castro struck out while innocently wandering into Lo Duca’s 02 count, all Chewy did was stroke a ninth- inning double and chug home with the winning run to end the game long stalemate against the A’s. With Endy Chavez on the DL for quite some time, there’s no question who the Mets best bat off the bench is. It’s Castro, even though the guy looks like he is running in quicksand.

The Met’s backup catcher hits as a starter, hits as a backup catcher, and hits a pinch hitter. He can handle the pitching staff, and plays with an enthusiasm that lights up the entire Mets dugout. With how tense the Mets lineup has been, it’s a crime that a bat like Castro’s is wasting away on the bench, simply because the Mets only carry two catchers.

The way I see it, the Mets have two options. They can keep sending up the likes of Easley, Franco, and Newhan in key spots, or they can instantly improve the bench by making a simple move. They can find a third catcher, either in the system or off of waivers, that can handle a pitching staff, so their best hitter off the bench can finally get some at-bats.

The Mets bench, which has been a strength in recent years, has been mediocre at best. Does anyone have confidence in the current crop of inexperienced youngsters and over-the-hill veterans? Castro has been hitting, and more importantly getting clutch hits, for three years, even when the rest of the lineup is struggling. I suspect you’d only get more of the same if he got more AB’s. He is anything but a liability defensively, but lets face it, the Mets aren’t hurting on defense.

The Mets have been searching all year for the late inning spark off the bench.  Instead of adding another bat on the trade market and coughing up some more Kazmirs, all Randolph has to do is look right under his nose. Find a third cather, and the Mets will find some more wins.