BOSTON -- Pedro Martinez has a minor tear in his rotator cuff and criticized Boston general manager Dan Duquette for saying he was healthy.

"What I don't appreciate is Duquette saying I'm healthy because then it is not true," Martinez said Tuesday. "I'm doing the best that I can to help the team, but I'm not 100 percent. ...

"I think Dan knows as much about medicine as I do, maybe less," he added. "That's why I'm surprised he said I'm healthy."

The three-time Cy Young Award winner has made two starts since coming off the disabled list Aug. 26 after being diagnosed with a minor tear in his rotator cuff. His normal turn in the rotation would be Friday night, when Boston plays at Yankee Stadium.

But he said his arm was sore and he'd wait to see how he feels later in the week before deciding whether to make that start.

On the day Boston fired former pitching coach John Cumberland, Martinez revealed Red Sox team physician Dr. Bill Morgan had told him he has thinning of the rotator cuff. Anaheim team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum said there was a minor tear.

"Once I heard tear, I freaked out a little bit," Martinez said.,

He spoke calmly for 15 minutes. He said the decision Sunday night to reassign Cumberland, who had served as pitching coach under new manager Joe Kerrigan "wasn't fair."

Martinez didn't echo Nomar Garciaparra, who said Sunday night after learning of Cumberland's dismissal, "That's why no one wants to ... play here." But the star pitcher did express concern.

"When Nomar says something, believe me, you have a problem," Martinez said, "because Nomar is not the type of guy that's going to be saying anything."

The Red Sox were in playoff contention before firing manager Jimy Williams on Aug. 16. Kerrigan, who had never managed in professional baseball, took a 6-11 record and an eight-game losing streak into Tuesday's game.

Boston started the day with almost no chance to reach the playoffs.

Clubhouse dissension escalated with Cumberland's dismissal after Sunday night's 1-0 Yankees' victory in which Mike Mussina came within one strike of a perfect game.

Cumberland, who spoke with several media outlets Tuesday, told the Boston Herald: "I didn't create the monster that's down there right now, and Jimy Williams didn't create it either. Dan Duquette created the monster."