BRADENTON, Fla. -- A year ago, on the date the Pirates' pitchers and catchers reported to spring training, the Japanese media outnumbered everyone in the complex.

This time?

"Not so much."

Those were the words of reliever Masumi Kuwata, delivered softly and with a smile, as part of a one-on-one interview yesterday afternoon at his clubhouse stall.

It seemed perfectly fine by him that only five Japanese print reporters and one television crew were waiting for him outside, as compared to the horde of 50 that followed every flinch of his North American debut last year.

And it seemed fine that expectations for his ability to contribute to the Pirates in 2008 have been lowered at a similar rate.

"If I am ready to pitch, I am confident that I can pitch here," he said. "I want to help this team, and I believe that I can."

The "if" in that equation, as he would make clear, had nothing to do with his faith in his pitching. And it certainly had nothing to do with experience, given that he is entering his 23rd season of professional baseball -- including 173 victories in Japan -- and will turn 40 in April.

Rather, it is about the right ankle that was severely sprained late last spring when he stepped on umpire Wally Bell's foot while running to back up third base.

Kuwata took two months to rehabilitate, then skyrocketed. He threw 73 percent of his pitches for strikes with Class AAA Indianapolis and made his major-league debut June 10 at Yankee Stadium. By month's end, he had a 2.53 ERA in nine appearances and was being used in critical situations. He was dominant at times, such as two outings in Seattle where he fanned four of seven batters and corkscrewed Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki into the ground with a 70-mph curve.

"I surrender," Suzuki joked later that night.

Soon after that, though, it was the Pirates who raised the white flag on Kuwata.

Beginning with a devastating outing July 2 at PNC Park in which the Milwaukee Brewers pounded him for seven runs in two-thirds of an inning, the plunge began. He was scored upon in seven of the next nine appearances and saw his ERA soar to 9.63.

Even though roster limits expand in September, he was released Aug. 14.

"It felt so good, very good to pitch the way I did in Seattle and other places," Kuwata said. "But I can say now that my ankle was getting worse, worse, worse every day because I was pitching every other day."

That came to a head the night the Brewers blew him away. Well, that and, as he confessed, "I think they were looking for the curveball."

Upon his release, he and his wife, Maki, and two sons spent a week in Pittsburgh pondering his future.

"I told them 'I think I'm going to retire.' "

But, not long after they were back in Japan ...

"I told them, 'Hey, maybe I'm going to have the surgery and play one more year.' My wife said, What?' "

He shouted that last word with a playful shriek.

In September, Kuwata flew to Los Angeles for a minor operation to address ligament damage in the ankle, performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, noted pioneer of baseball's Tommy John surgery. In December, he went to Dr. Jobe again for a checkup and was given a clean bill.

Soon thereafter, he and the Pirates' new general manager, Neal Huntington, worked out a minor-league contract similar to the one he had last year: His salary will be $500,000 if he makes the roster, a fraction of that if he goes to the minors.

"I didn't even want to talk to anybody else," Kuwata said. "I just want to play here. Just Pittsburgh."

It will not be easy. Although there are four openings in the bullpen, management will be inclined to give younger pitchers the edge, given its stated emphasis on the future. The ankle, too, remains no small matter: Kuwata is throwing off a mound, but he acknowledged it is "not 100 percent" healed.

"But I'm here trying. One more time. I want to make it to the major leagues again."

NOTES -- Pitchers and catchers had until midnight last night to report, and there was no immediate word as to whether anyone missed the deadline. Latin American players often have visa delays, and there were indications that catcher Carlos Maldonado was having difficulty leaving his native Venezuela. ... Most of the 44 players required to report were in town early enough to take the field for independent workouts yesterday. ... The first official workout is at noon today, after physicals and an 11:30 meeting. ... Outfielder Jason Bay, who has spent the offseason strengthening his wonky right knee, could report as soon as this weekend to get a head start.