CHICAGO -- Brian Schneider was not pleased. Forced to miss his second consecutive game on Monday evening with continued swelling in his right forearm, Schneider entered the Wrigley Field clubhouse feeling frustrated, anxious, restless -- pick your adjective.

"I hate missing games," he said. "I don't like to harp on the bumps and bruises that we get as catchers. It doesn't make me real happy not to be able to play.

"Unfortunately, there's still a lot of swelling in there, so I think I'm going to have to take another day, as much as I don't want to. It's probably the best thing."

It shouldn't be long now, however, with that swelling finally beginning to subside. Schneider originally left Saturday's game in Philadelphia after being struck on his right arm with a foul tip, and each day since he has looked toward "tomorrow" with a fair bit of hope.

Yet even Schneider admitted that the quick turnaround between Monday night's game and Tuesday's matinee might foil his plans to play in Chicago. He might yet reevaluate, and instead peg Wednesday night's game in Washington as his goal.

Backup Raul Casanova started his second consecutive game on Monday in place of Schneider, who continued to limit his baseball activities. Gripping a bat is fine, he said. Throwing, not so much -- though if something were to happen to Casanova, both Schneider and manager Willie Randolph insisted that he would be fine in a pinch.

Indeed, if this were a "crunch-time" game in September, Randolph said, then his starting catcher most likely would start. But September remains quite a few calendar flips away, and so Schneider spent Monday far removed from his home behind the plate.

"I know I could [play]," Schneider said. "I just wouldn't be 100 percent. But we're only looking a day or two ahead. I don't think it's something to be worried about."