Pedro Martinez to make Phils debut Wednesday

As a result, Jamie Moyer will be moved to the bullpen, even though it is generally believed his style is not conducive to effective relief pitching. The Phillies may need a sixth starter in September, when they play 30 games, including two makeup contests. The 46-year-old Moyer is signed through next season.

Lefthander J.A. Happ will pitch tonight as the Phillies open a six-game road trip, holding a 31/2-game lead over Florida in the NL East.

"Based on our reports on how Pedro has pitched in his rehab starts, we felt it was time to move him into our rotation," manager Charlie Manuel said in a news release. "Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been and will continue to be a very important part of this team."

The Phillies pulled Martinez off the unemployment line July 15 when they signed the three-time Cy Young Award winner to a one-year prorated contract worth $1 million plus incentives. In three rehab appearances, he went 1-1 with a 5.11 earned run average and 16 strikeouts in 121/3 innings.

The Cubs are the last major-league team that Martinez faced, on Sept. 25, 2008, at Shea Stadium when he was with the New York Mets.

The Phillies were desperate for starting pitching when they signed Martinez. They had lost Brett Myers, who has recently begun rehab following hip surgery and is hoping to pitch in relief in September, and their starters had the worst ERA in the NL the first two months of the season.

But the starting rotation has evolved into a team strength since Martinez's signing. Joe Blanton overcame early-season problems to settle in as a reliable starter, and Cliff Lee, who won the AL Cy Young Award last season, was acquired at the trade deadline.

Happ replaced Chan Ho Park in the rotation May 23 and is 6-2 as a starter and 8-2 overall with a 2.74 ERA. For a while, it was thought that Happ might be bumped out of the rotation to make room for Martinez, but the 26-year-old has been the club's most consistent starter and is in the running for rookie-of-the-year honors. Happ, who is from Spring Valley, Ill., and attended Northwestern University, is expected to have several friends and family members attending tonight's game.

With Martinez starting tomorrow, Lee, Blanton and Cole Hamels get pushed back a day, meaning Lee, who will start Thursday against the Cubs, will not pitch in the weekend series at Atlanta, which has moved within 41/2 games of the Phils in the division race. Lee could go against the Braves at the end of the month because he was pushed back. Lee, who won his first two starts with the Phillies, will be pitching on six days' rest.

To activate Martinez from the disabled list, the Phillies will have to make a roster move, which they will announce tomorrow.

Extra bases. The Phillies activated reliever Chad Durbin from the 15-day DL. The righthander has been on the DL since July 23 with a strained muscle near his shoulder blade. To make room for Durbin, righthander Rodrigo Lopez was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley. . . . The Phils said an MRI of J.C. Romero's left elbow showed he had a healing mid-grade strain of his flexor tendon. There is no damage to the ligament. He will hold off from throwing for about eight days.

Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743 or rparrillo@phillynews.com.