The Associated Press

TORONTO - Pedro Martinez will get his anticipated rematch against the New York Yankees when they visit Boston for a three-game series July 25-27.

Red Sox manager Grady Little said Wednesday that Martinez wouldn't pitch in that series, but he said Thursday the team changed its mind.

Little said Martinez, who plunked New York's Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter with pitches in a game Monday, is scheduled to take the mound July 25 against New York.

Asked how important it is to him that the Red Sox rearranged the rotation so he could pitch against the Yankees, Martinez said: "It was really important. A lot of people were thinking I was avoiding them even though I was on the DL."

Martinez was scratched from a scheduled start against the Yankees in May because of an inflamed tendon and strained muscle on his right side. He missed a series the next week against them because he went on the disabled list.

"People were talking stuff in New York. My friends were kidding me, saying 'You don't want to face them,' " Martinez said.

Martinez doesn't know if there will be any fallout from Monday's game.

"We'll wait and see. I don't know what their mentality is. I can only wait and see. We're not worried about that," Martinez said.

The way the Boston rotation is now set, Martinez is slated to pitch July 20 against Toronto before going against the Yankees.

"Pedro will be pitching against the two teams that we need to beat in our division, Toronto and New York," Little said. "That makes a lot of sense, but a big factor is for Pedro himself. I think the extra time off will help."

Martinez will go a week without pitching because of the new rotation schedule and the All-Star break.

"That period of time off will make him stronger for the duration of the season and he feels the same way," said Little, who only a day earlier said he didn't want Martinez to go too long between starts.