Martinez

NEW YORK -- Pedro Martinez may not pitch again until Sept. 1 because of his ailing right shoulder, an examination showed Thursday in a further setback for the banged-up Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox already had not expected their ace to return by the end of July. But after tests Thursday at Shea Stadium before a game against the New York Mets, Boston got more bad news.

"I think we're looking at 4-to-6 weeks from today," team physician Dr. Bill Morgan said.

Martinez is scheduled to spend the next 7-to-10 days strengthening his rotator cuff, then begin a throwing program. That's if everything goes according to the plan, without any problems.

"A lot of telling is in the next few weeks," Morgan said.

"I'm very optimistic" he will pitch again this year, Morgan said. "That's clearly the goal -- to return him to the way we're used to seeing him."

Martinez said he liked his prognosis.

"Everything I heard sounded like what I wanted to hear," Martinez said after Boston's 4-2 loss.

Said Red Sox manager Jimy Williams: "It hasn't really changed anything."

"Our focus is to try to get these players healthy. You can't rush that. It just takes time," he said.

Martinez, a three-time Cy Young winner, leads the majors with a 2.26 ERA. He is 7-2 and tops the AL with 150 strikeouts.

The Red Sox, who trail the New York Yankees by 1 1/2 games in the AL East, put Martinez on the 15-day disabled list June 27.

Morgan said tests revealed Martinez "was much less tender" and showed the pitcher had "very good strength."

Asked the cause of Martinez's sore shoulder, Morgan said, "He throws too hard."

"He puts 150 percent into every pitch," he said.

The Red Sox, who also have stars Nomar Garciaparra and Carl Everett out because of injuries, activated reliever Rich Garces from the 15-day disabled list before Thursday night's game against the Mets.

Garces was put on the DL on June 26 because of an injured right hamstring. He is 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA in 31 games.

Garces threw 19 pitches Wednesday night for Lowell in the Class A New York-Penn League.

Boston optioned pitcher Carlos Castillo to Triple-A Pawtucket. He got into one game for the Red Sox, allowing one run in one inning.

The Red Sox also worked out pitcher Ken Hill, who has been cut by Tampa Bay and the Cincinnati organization this season.

Hill, 35, is 117-109 in 13 seasons with St. Louis, Montreal, Cleveland, Texas, Anaheim, the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay.

The Devil Rays released Hill in mid-April, a day after he was hit hard by Boston. He was 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA in 7 1-3 innings for Tampa Bay.

Hill signed with the Reds' system and pitched at Triple-A Louisville before being released in mid-June.

"I'm not desperate, but I'm at the end," Hill said. "I called around and a lot of people said they had enough pitching. People had 7.00 ERAs. But I've been calling around and ain't got nothing."

Hill contacted the Red Sox after seeing Martinez and pitcher Frank Castillo go on the disabled list.

"I figured they might need help," he said.

Hill worked with his former Expos pitching coach, Joe Kerrigan, for about 15 minutes at Shea Stadium.

The Red Sox are likely to look at Hill for the next couple of days before deciding whether to offer him a contract, most likely a minor league deal.