PAWTUCKET - About an hour before last night's game, Bartolo Colon was standing by himself in front of a McCoy Stadium entrance looking all the world like some Little League kid who couldn't wait for the game to start.

Dressed in a T-shirt and his game pants, Colon was holding a weighted softball, flipping it up in the air and catching it in his glove. Then he walked into the entry area and threw the ball off a concrete post and fielded it, continuing that activity for a while.

Colon, of course, is no Little League kid. Indeed, there's very little about the rotund right-hander that is little, and he may become a big piece of the Boston Red Sox' ravaged starting rotation in the near future if his rehab assignment last night for the Pawtucket Red Sox is any indication.

Pitching quickly and efficiently, Colon did not permit a hit in his four-inning, 40-pitch start in Pawtucket's 8-3 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs.

With the Red Sox' rotation in a state of flux, Colon's health may be important, though given the fact he hardly has been stretched out in terms of pitch count, he would seemingly need at least one more start before he'd be ready to take the hill for Boston.

That timetable would have Colon ready, if he can stay healthy, for Sept. 1, when major-league teams can expand their rosters.

Last night's appearance marked the fourth rehab start on this go-round with the PawSox for Colon, who suffered a lower back strain on June 16 when he took some ridiculously aggressive hacks at the plate in Boston's interleague game in Philadelphia.

Colon's third outing, on Aug. 15, lasted only one inning because of a stomach bug. Last night, Colon looked strong even though the radar-gun reading on the sign in right field showed him registering only as high as 90 mph. All of his fastballs, though, were consistently in the 88-90 range.

The aggressive Chiefs helped him out, no doubt because Colon was around the strike zone throughout. His pitch totals were 10, 13, 7, 10 in the respective innings.

Colon, who went 4-2 with a 4.09 earned-run average in six starts for Boston between May 21 and June 16, walked two last night but faced only one batter over the minimum because of a double play.

He also fanned two with the Chiefs hitting only two balls to the outfield, a pair of drives hauled in by center fielder Sean Danielson.

Colon elected not to participate in a chat with the media.

"Bueno" was all he said as he left the media in his wake.

Catcher George Kottaras and manager Ron Johnson were more willing to assess Colon's performance.

"He had good life on his fastball and movement on his sinker," said Kottaras. "He was throwing pitches on both sides of the plate. He was very efficient with his pitches. He worked quickly and came right after the hitters. It was fantastic for us. He was great and he said he felt great."

Johnson was similarly impressed.

"He looked great on the mound. His velocity isn't up where it was the first time he was here (early this season), but he looked crisp and had a good feeling for the game," said Johnson, who also noted how quickly Colon made mechanical adjustments on the mound after issuing a walk.

"There were no restrictions (from his injury)," added Johnson. "He looked like he had more. If he had to go back out there, he could have given us another inning or two."

Colon will throw again on Tuesday on the road against Lehigh Valley, expanding his innings total and pitch count if all goes well.