Pedro Martinez, barring a miracle rebound by Boston, won’t pitch again this year. And his spot in the Red Sox rotation is going to a reliever who hadn’t thrown from a windup in months.

Deposed closer Derek Lowe will likely get a four-start audition in Martinez’s spot. Lowe will definitely pitch Wednesday in Tampa Bay instead of Martinez, who will remain with the team through the end of the season. The three-time Cy Young winner is 7-3 with a 2.39 ERA in 18 starts.

Asked why the team doesn’t formally shut down Martinez, Boston manager Joe Kerrigan responded, “Well, I think that would be sending a wrong message to the team if we did that. Saying that our season is over right now. Saying that we don’t have a chance at all.”

But the Red Sox have been cooked longer than a Thanksgiving turkey. They have lost 13 of their last 14, and trail the Yankees by 13 games. Kerrigan still held out hope Martinez, who had no comment yesterday, could pitch if the Sox rebounded into playoff contention.

“We’re still going to keep him on the active roster,” Kerrigan said. “Talking with him yesterday, he said if this was a playoff scenario, he could still pitch.”

Lowe hadn’t worked from the windup in “two or three months” before a brief relief stint yesterday, and he began the 1998 season 0-7 as a starter before being converted to relief.

Kerrigan said shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, on the DL with a wrist injury, also is unlikely to play unless the Red Sox gain ground on the Bombers.

That appears unlikely, as Kerrigan pulled their No. 3 hitter, Izzy Alcantara, in the fifth inning yesterday for failing to run out a popup. They mustered just four hits in 72/3 innings off Andy Pettitte, and Kerrigan has a team meeting scheduled for today.