FORT MYERS, Fla. – Former American League Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon has been making steady progress and impressing Red Sox coaches and officials this spring despite a late start.

“I think we were kind of tempering expectations, but we were excited when he came in because he displayed some things physically we weren’t expecting, like shoulder-wise and his compliance with the work and being open to anything we asked of him,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

The 35-year-old righthanded starting pitcher made his first appearance and start of spring training Thursday and pitched two innings, allowing two hits, one earned run on a home run, and one walk against the Tampa Bay Rays. He also had a strikeout, threw 18 of 26 pitches for strikes, and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first.

The Rays went on to win 3-2 in 10 innings.

“I feel very good and my control was good. It was what I was looking for and I felt really strong out there today,” Colon said through an interpreter. “I’m thrilled with the way my arm’s been responding. I don’t know how hard I was throwing, but it felt very good.”

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said Colon’s fastballs ranged from 90 to 94 miles per hour on a radar gun, but most were 92-93.

“For his first time out, we were really impressed,” Epstein said. “That’s more velocity than we expected out of him.”

Colon was signed to a minor league free agent contract Feb. 25, three days before the team’s first spring training game. The 5-foot-11, 245-pound pitcher has been limited by injuries the last two seasons. Right shoulder inflammation limited him to 56 1/3 innings with the L.A. Angels in 2006 and right elbow irritation put him on the disabled list last year, when he went 6-8 in 18 starts with a 6.34 ERA over 99 1/3 innings.

“He has a good fastball with movement and a variance on his breaking ball depending on how low that slider goes,” Francona said. “He’s displayed some very good arm strength this spring.

“[Red Sox assistant to Epstein] Allard [Baird] invested his (butt) on this one, so maybe we’re going to catch a break.”

Colon won the 2005 American League Cy Young after going 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 222 1/3 innings.

“I’m definitely going to try to reach that level again, but it’s going to be tough because I’m older and my body’s at a different stage physically,” said Colon, who rejoins former Cleveland teammate Manny Ramirez (1997-2000).

“I’m ecstatic to be back with Manny. Manny’s like a brother to me and the fact that we can be back on a team like the Red Sox, it couldn’t be any better,” he said.

Red Sox officials are hopeful it can get better.

“Sometimes thing click in ways you weren’t even expecting and if he does, good for us,” said Francona. “We’re trying to have a guy come in here and get some wins for us at the major league level. This guy’s been a pretty special pitcher and there’s a decent chance he’s going to come in and help us.”

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