 Kuwata had surgery in the U.S., and spent the rest of 1995 and all of 1996 in rehab.He made a comeback in 1997, winning 10 games, and 16 games in 1998, but his pitching had deteriorated considerably compared to the years before his injury, particularly with a loss of velocity off his fastball.Kuwata considered retirement during the 2001 off-season, but Giants general manager Tatsunori Hara convinced him to remain on the team.