ANAHEIM, Calif. — Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez had originally been scheduled to sit out of the series finale between the Sox and Angels, not only because he had missed the previous four weeks while recovering from a broken left thumb but also because it was a day game after a night game. But the catcher approached manager Terry Francona following Tuesday’s victory and insisted that he was ready to play in his third straight game.

“When we were shaking hands, he grabbed me and said, ‘I’m playing tomorrow,’” said Francona.

Martinez, who is 1-for-8 with a walk and two strikeouts since returning, said that he is eager to make up for lost time after his time on the disabled list.

“I feel good. I think I’ve had plenty of off-days,” said Martinez. “It’s not fun to watch the game from the bench. Like I say, I just want to be part of it and I’m just trying to help the team somehow. I just want to play no matter what.”

Some additional pre-game notes:

–Both Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard are unavailable on Wednesday after both pitched on Tuesday night.

“We used Bard, Pap, kind of hoping that we would win that game, knowing that, with the quick turnaround, we would stay away from them today and would have tomorrow off,” said Francona. “A little bit of a gamble, but when you win, it helps. When you lose that game, that’s when you’re kind of reaching, like [in] Seattle. We used them and didn’t win. That’s when it hurts.”

Bard has pitched in 48 games this year, and is on pace for 77 appearances. Papelbon has been in 41 games, and is on pace for 66 appearances.

–The Red Sox are hoping that J.D. Drew, who was a late scratch from Tuesday’s game due to tightness in his left hamstring, can get an MRI on his left hamstring prior to Wednesday’s game. The team wants to get a diagnosis of a condition that has been affecting the right fielder prior to flying back East after Wednesday’s series finale.

–Mike Lowell, after hitting three homers on Tuesday night for Pawtucket, is scheduled to play in another rehab game on Wednesday. Francona will talk with Sox GM Theo Epstein on Thursday to determine Lowell’s schedule going forward, with a weekend activation a good possibility.

–Jeremy Hermida has struggled in his return to the lineup following six weeks on the sidelines with broken ribs. He is 2-for-14 with seven strikeouts since coming off the disabled list, and he admits that — even though he feels fine physically — he is still searching for comfort at the plate. Francona concurred.

“I don’t think he’s felt real comfortable at the plate,” said Francona. “Victor came back, had the first pitch for a hit. As a hitter, it’s amazing what a hit does for you. It relaxes you. Hermida is kind of the opposite. They’ve made real good pitches on him, they’ve changed speeds. He’s kind of feeling for himself up there, he’s a little bit lost. That’s kind of the other side of it that can happen too.”