DETROIT — When the Detroit Tigers were in Arizona during the second series of the season, Gleyber Torres invited Kevin McGonigle to the mall. The vet took time to get to know the rookie. And, before McGonigle signed a $150 million contract extension, Torres even treated the new kid to a few big-league purchases. A nice bottle of cologne was among the haul.“I got to chop up with him, and he hooked me up with some things,” McGonigle said Friday. “Things like that just really mean a lot to me, and it goes a long way.”On a team with no clear, singular leader among position players, perhaps Torres should get more credit. Although Torres is often a soft-spoken presence, it’s common to see him fronting a conversation when the infield comes to the mound or chatting with another hitter while a reliever warms up. Torres leads through small, subtle actions. But on a club that still has MLB’s eighth-most plate appearances from hitters age 25 or younger, the 29-year-old is an important, experienced presence.“He took me under his wing, of course, at the beginning of the season and right now,” McGonigle said. “Any questions I have, I go to him, and he always has an answer for me.”Just as importantly, Torres also happens to be a steady right-handed bat, the type the Tigers desperately missed for the better part of a month. This is a player who has had an on-base percentage of at least .330 in seven of his previous eight MLB seasons.Torres is recently back from the injured list. And so is Kerry Carpenter, the 28-year-old left-hander who has already made his name with a knack for big hits at the biggest times.Friday night against the Seattle Mariners, Torres hit leadoff and finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Carpenter, who entered with eight career home runs against the Mariners if you count the postseason, added a ninth with his third-inning blast off tough Seattle starter Bryan Woo.