Andres Torres to return to NY Mets lineup Monday against Houston Astros ... - New York Daily News

Roger Rubin/New York Daily News

Ruber Tejada (l.) and Dillon Gee show off western wear of Mets' themed road trip.

DENVER â€" Andres Torres is joining the Mets in Hous ton Monday and it is sure to set things in motion. Most notably, they hope, the running game.

Terry Collins said Torres, who hurt his calf on Opening Day and had been on the DL since, will again be starting in center and return to the leadoff spot.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who was called up to play center since and hit leadoff the past two weeks, will move over to left field and will likely bat in the seventh or eighth spot.

Nieuwenhuis, who made a spectacular diving catch in the fifth on Sunday on a drive by Jonathan Herrera, hasn’t played left field but took fly balls there each of the last two day s. Scott Hairston will see some action in left and is expected to start two of the three games against the Astros, who will pitch two lefties.

The Mets have seven stolen bases, dead last in the National League. Torres, acquired in December in the Angel Pagan trade, swiped a combined 45 bases over the past two seasons with the Giants.

“The one thing we don’t do is we don’t steal bases. We’re last in the league,” Collins said before David Wright stole twice. “The one thing you don’t want to do, because we have some power, is run yourself out of innings. (But) he will add another dimension, for sure.”

“I am going to be a little cautious in the beginning,” he added. “The one thing I don’t want to do is run hi m back onto the DL.” ... Ruben Tejada has gone 8-for-21 in the five games since he moved to the No. 2 spot in the order and is likely to remain there. ... Infielder Zach Lutz will be optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Torres.

GO WEST
The Mets wanted to “cowboy up,” and Sunday they finally did.

Wright arrived at Coors Field wearing a big sombrero and a fake mustache and pair of chaps were spotted in his locker. R.A. Dickey donned a vintage wild-west U.S. marshal’s outfit, replete with the long coat, 10-gallon hat, silver badge and a toy pistol on his belt. And so began the Mets Western-themed trip, which would take them in full garb after the game to the flight to Houston.

“Last year we did a theme trip and, in spring training, I met with some of the players . . . and they asked if they could do it again. I said sure,” Collins said. “They said ‘Let’s do a Western Day.’ I said (to) pick a day and they said this one.”

The idea behind themed trips is to get a few laughs and build camaraderie.

“They’re a good time,” Dickey said. “People can get pretty creative.”

New Broncos QB Peyton Manning saw Wright in costume when he arrived to take in batting practice and didn’t even recognize him.

“We tried to c ome up with some ideas,” Collins said. “We’re going to do a hock ey day when we go up to Toronto.”

After they get the camaraderie down, they can work on their originality.

VOL REUNION
Manning was on the field for batting practice and the chance to visit with close friend and Rockies first baseman Todd Helton.

Manning and Helton were teammates at the University of Tennessee and, in 1994, Manning replaced Helton as the starting quarterback after he injured his knee. But Manning also is friends with another former UT athlete on the Mets â€" Dickey.

He had the three of them pose for a photograph on the field before the game.

“Pretty good for three guys who were all in school at t he same time back in the mid-’90s to still be doing it,” Manning said.