MLB

Tex expects he will be back on field for Yanks tonight

Mark Teixeira Thursday sounded as if he will be in the lineup Friday night against Mets left-hander Jon Niese at Citi Field as the Subway Series resumes.

Teixeira didn’t start Wednesday’s 10-5 loss to the Braves after taking a smash off his left ankle Tuesday night.

“It was really sore [Wednesday]. I knew I couldn’t play all nine,’’ said Teixeira, who doubled as a pinch-hitter and played the ninth inning at first base. “But it was good to get in there. I’m glad I was able to test it, run the bases and play defense. It made me even more confident that I’ll be fine [tonight]. I feel even better today than yesterday.”

Teixeira, who appeared at Grand Central Terminal to plug the Delta Dugout, said he didn’t require treatment Thursday.

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Niese had the best success against the Yankees among Mets starting pitchers in the last Subway Series, but said there is no secret formula.

PHOTOS: SUBWAY SERIES MOMENTS

The lefty, who will start Friday night against Andy Pettitte, allowed two unearned runs over seven innings against the Yankees on June 10 — a game the Mets lost 5-4 on Russell Martin’s walk-off homer off Jon Rauch.

“I was just attacking them and establishing the inside of the plate and trusting myself, really,” said Niese, who lost his shutout on Martin’s two-run homer in the seventh following a David Wright throwing error that should have been the third out. “I thought I had my better stuff that day and I was able to pound the zone with all my pitches and that’s important.”

Pettitte doesn’t seem concerned he has never before pitched at Citi Field.

“I just pitched at Nationals Park. I had never pitched there. All the new ballparks are so awesome. The only thing that would ever normally make a difference when I was young coming up is if the backstop was super, super far away from the catcher,’’ said Pettitte, who gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings against the Nationals. “Your depth perception is a little off. With all the new ballparks it’s fairly close and they’re all fairly similar as far as the configuration behind the plate.”

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Teixeira is a former Rangers teammate of R.A. Dickey and has been impressed with the knuckleballer’s sensational first half. Nevertheless, when Dickey takes the mound Sunday, Teixeira wouldn’t mind seeing the knuckleball misbehave.

“R.A. Dickey’s maybe the best pitcher in baseball right now. As a good friend, I love seeing him pitch well, but one time a year I want him to struggle,’’ said Teixeira, who is 2-for-11 (.182) against Dickey, who is 11-1 with a 2.00 ERA this year.

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Ronny Cedeno went 0-for-4 at second base in a rehab game for Triple-A Buffalo Thursday and could be activated before tonight’s game and inserted in the Mets’ lineup at shortstop. Cedeno would bring a right-handed bat to the lineup against Pettitte.

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Ruben Tejada, who has missed the last six weeks with a quadriceps injury, went 1-for-4 with a double and RBI in the same game and could be in position to rejoin the Mets next week.

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Mets manager Terry Collins enjoys visiting Yankee Stadium, but isn’t exactly heartbroken the Subway Series has shifted to Citi Field this weekend. The Yankees out-homered the Mets 8-2 in The Bronx.

“Yankee Stadium is a great place for their team and for the fans,” Collins said. “There are a lot of home runs hit. They can hit them out of here, too. It’s just not quite as easy as it is over there. But they can hit, make no mistake. They’ve got enough power to hit them out of any ballpark in the country. What we’ve got to do here is make some pitches and keep the ball on the field if we can.”

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When Yankees general manager Brian Cashman signed righty reliever David Aardsma in February, he talked about it being more for next season because Aardsma had Tommy John surgery last July. Cashman, however, didn’t rule out Aardsma helping the Yankees this year.

Now, with the clock ticking on a 30-day minor league rehab assignment that began Tuesday, Cashman believes Aardsma will pitch for the Yankees this season.

“He will be ready in time to help us,’’ Cashman said of Aardsma, who saved 69 games in 2009 and 2010 for the Mariners, but didn’t pitch last year. “I wasn’t certain of anything, especially with a player who wasn’t one of ours.’’

While Cashman didn’t put a date on it, he said Joba Chamberlain “will help us, too.’’

Chamberlain is coming back from Tommy John surgery and a dislocated right ankle suffered in a trampoline accident in spring training.

Curtis Granderson said a win is a win, no matter whom it is against.

“Whether it’s National League or American League, as long as you win it doesn’t matter who you beat,’’ Granderson said.