The Mets will be part of the christening of the Expos’ new pseudo-home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, next season.

The Expos were cleared yesterday to play 22 home games away from Montreal at an owners’ meeting in Dallas, and approval by the Players Association is now pending. The Mets will be the first visiting team to play the Expos at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan from April 11-14.

Major League Baseball opened the 2001 season in San Juan with a game between the Rangers and Blue Jays.

The Mets’ April road games with Montreal were already part of their preliminary 2003 schedule, so there is no disruption other than the change of venue. The Mets and Cubs opened the 2000 season with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

Subject to negotiations with the Players’ Association, the Expos would play a 10-game homestand in San Juan in April, with games against the Mets, Braves (April 15-17) and Reds (April 18-20). A date for the Mets’ season opener, which will be at Shea, has not yet been announced.