DENVER -- Terry Collins has amended his language with respect to his outfield. Two days after labeling it a "rotation" to the players themselves, Collins on Saturday labeled Juan Lagares the "everyday" center fielder. The manager added that Lagares will be given limited days off only to guard against his right hamstring becoming re-injured.

#12 CF

New York Mets

2014 STATS

GM 16

HR1

RBI8

R9

OBP.359

AVG .333

Lagares enters Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies 4-for-9 with three doubles in two games since returning from the disabled list. He also continues to deftly play center field.

Over the past two seasons, Lagares has 2.88 putouts per nine innings in center field. All other Mets center fielders average a combined 2.18 putouts per nine innings. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lagares' 14 outfield assists over the past two seasons are tied with Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez for the most in the majors from center field. And Gomez has played 557 more innings at the position during that span.

Collins said he will "try" to get Eric Young Jr. into the lineup Sunday. E.Y. Jr. again is out of the starting lineup Saturday -- making that three straight days on the bench since Lagares returned from the DL for this series.

"He's going to be out there the majority of the time. He's got to be," Collins said about Lagares. "He's the future. He's shown that he's getting better at it. When he starts hitting .195, we'll have to take a look and get him out of there. But, right now, he's getting on base. He's doing all the things you want. People don't score on him when he's got the baseball in his hand. He, right now, would be our everyday guy.

"Again, due to the fact he's had some issues in the past with his leg, including this year, even though it hasn't been necessarily a pulled muscle, we're probably going to give him a day off here and there."