Kansas City Royals pitcher Hideo Nomo runs sprints on the opening day of spring training. Pitchers and catchers reported to camp Thursday at the team's complex in Surprise, Ariz.

Surprise, Ariz. ? Hideo Nomo is 39, has not pitched in the majors since 2005 and is trying to bounce back after surgeries on his shoulder and elbow.

Nomo has nothing to prove after 10 years in the majors. He was the 1995 National League Rookie of the Year, going 13-6 with a 2.54 earned-run average and a league-leading 236 strikeouts with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He has thrown two no-hitters and struck out nearly 2,000 batters.

Nomo, who pitched only 132â3 innings in winter ball last year after having elbow surgery to remove bone chips in 2006, is a non-roster invite to the Kansas City Royals’ training camp.

“I feel like I can still pitch in the major leagues,” Nomo said through an interpreter Thursday. “I did rehab for it. Pitching in the major leagues is my goal. I like baseball a lot.”

Nomo also had shoulder surgery in 2003.

“It feels better than two years ago,” Nomo said of his arm. “I didn’t have any pain in my shoulder and elbow when I threw in Venezuela. The pain didn’t go away for a long time (after the surgeries).”

Nomo was 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA in seven starts with Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League. During his last two seasons in the majors – 2004-05 with the Dodgers and Tampa Bay – Nomo was a combined 9-19 with a 7.70 ERA.

“Nomo’s situation is twofold really,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said.

“Anybody who has had as much success as Nomo has had in his career and his desire to pitch in the major leagues and with his competitiveness, you’ve really got to listen,” Moore said.

“Secondly, his influence on (Yasuhiko) Yabuta in transition. It just makes sense for him to be here. We all recognize how much success he’s had. He still feels like he can pitch in the majors. He’s a great competitor. And he can help transition Yabuta. Somebody is going to give Nomo the opportunity to come to a major league camp, so why not us?”

Kansas City signed Yabuta, one of the best relievers in Japan, to a two-year contract in November. While Yabuta has pitched 12 years in the Japanese League, this will be his initial experience in the majors.

Yabuta said he was “impressed and pleased” upon meeting Nomo, who was a trailblazer in players coming from Japan to the United States.

Nomo is still an icon in Japan. Thirty-four members of the Japanese media covered Nomo’s news conference after the Royals’ first spring training workout Thursday.

Kansas City has two vacancies in its rotation.

“I’m going to make a play to win (one of them),” Nomo said.

Royals rookie manager Trey Hillman, who managed the previous five seasons in Japan, remembered when Nomo had a devastating split-finger fastball that baffled hitters.

“Arguably it was one of the best or the best split in the United States,” Hillman said. “Depending on how the arms works, on how the arm feels, how the body is reacting, we’ll see how that pitch is. When you’ve got a guy who had one of the best out pitches ever, I’m anxious to see it.”

Nomo said his split was “so-so” in Venezuela.

“He is here because he’s the winningest Japanese pitcher in the history of the major leagues,” Hillman said. “I won’t deny there is the obvious advantage of having Yabuta.”

Notes: Left-hander Neal Musser was held out of activities because of back spasms. Hillman listed him as day to day. … Thursday was the first Royals official workout with all 31 pitchers and seven catchers reporting. It was also the first workout for Hillman as a big league manager. “I was so nervous, I almost wet my britches,” Hillman said. … Kansas City’s first full-squad workout will be Tuesday.