Brian Bannister has quit the Yomiuri Giants.

Bannister left Japan without permission after the March earthquake and did not return, so the Giants finally cut ties with him this week. He inked a healthy one-year, $1.8 million contract with the team this winter. The 30-year-old has no immediate plans to continue his pitching career and may hang up his cleats for good.

Brian Bannister has signed a one-year deal with the Tokyo Giants.

Off he goes. The 29-year-old right-hander drew very little interest from MLB clubs this offseason after posting an ugly 6.34 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over 127 2/3 innings for the Royals in 2010. Bannister is only 29 years old, so we could see him back in the states at some point in the future.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, Brian Bannister intends to pitch next season.

Three teams told Bannister's agent that they heard he was retiring, but that doesn't appear to be the case. The 29-year-old right-hander posted a 6.34 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over 127 2/3 innings with the Royals this past season. He will likely have to accept a minor league contract this winter.

Brian Bannister has elected to become a free agent.

The 29-year-old Bannister finished with a 6.34 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over 127 2/3 innings for the Royals this season, working as both a starter and reliever. He could have trouble finding a starting job for 2011.

Brian Bannister has been shifted to the Royals' bullpen.

Bannister allowed seven runs over 2 2/3 innings in his first game back from the disabled list Tuesday. He may be recovering still from the rotator cuff tendinitis that landed him on the disabled list for a month earlier this season. Either way, he is now a long reliever in Kansas City.

In his return from the disabled list, Brian Bannister gave up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in a loss to the Twins on Tuesday night.

He didn't strike out anyone, and even though he induced more groundballs than flyballs, Bannister shouldn't be an option in any fantasy league right now.

Royals activated RHP Brian Bannister from the 15-day disabled list.

Bannister tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his final rehab appearance on Wednesday. He's slated to start Tuesday's game against the Twins, but will be limited to a pitch-count, as the newly-activated Luke Hochevar is also expected to pitch. Bannister has been sidelined since the first week of August due to right rotator cuff tendinitis.

Brian Bannister (shoulder) is expected to make one or two more rehab starts at Triple-A Omaha before rejoining the Royals.

Bannister fired two scoreless innings in his first rehab appearance last week and will go a bit longer next time out. The right-hander has been sidelined since the beginning of August due to tendinitis in his right rotator cuff. He should be starting games in the majors by mid-September.

Brian Bannister (shoulder) threw two scoreless innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Omaha.

Bannister was on a pitch-count, so he was removed from the game after 22 pitches. He allowed just one hit while striking out none and walking none. This outing was a nice start, but he'll likely need a couple more starts before returning from the disabled list.

Brian Bannister (shoulder) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha Monday.

He's expected to throw just 25-30 pitches and will probably need a couple additional rehab starts before returning in September. Bannister was placed on the DL this past week with shoulder problems that he admits have "been an issue for a while." His ERA has been north of 6.00 in each of the last three full months.

Brian Bannister is headed to the bullpen to work on his mechanics.

The right-hander will try to fix some problems with his delivery that he and pitching coach Bob McClure noticed while studying video earlier in the week. The plan is for Bannister, who has a 7.38 ERA over his last seven starts, to return to the rotation on August 15. Bryan Bullington will fill in for him in the rotation.

The Royals will skip over Brian Bannister for at least one and maybe two starts.

The right-hander has really struggled of late, posting a 7.38 ERA over his last seven starts. His overall ERA on the year is at 5.95. Bryan Bullington, who has a 5.14 ERA in seven relief innings, will be Bannister's temporary replacement in the rotation.

Brian Bannister was shelled for five earned runs in six innings Saturday as the Royals lost to the White Sox.

Bannister fell to 7-7 on the season after allowing three homers and seven total hits to the White Sox. He threw just 63 of his 103 pitches for strikes and will bring a 5.56 ERA and 1.60 WHIP into the All-Star break.

Brian Bannister outdueled Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday by throwing six scoreless innings in the Royals' 1-0 win over the Nationals.

Bannister was removed after just 84 pitches, even though his spot in the order didn't come up in the top of the seventh. The strategy worked, though, as Robinson Tejeda and Joakim Soria struck out five in three strong innings of relief. Bannister gave up 16 runs -- 14 earned -- over seven innings in his previous two starts, so it makes sense that Ned Yost didn't want to press his luck today.

Brian Bannister was lit up for 11 runs -- nine earned -- over three innings Saturday as the Royals lost to the Reds.

Bannister had been on a nice little roll as of late, but the wheels really fell off Saturday. He surrendered 10 hits, three of which were home runs, and also walked two batters. Leave him untouched in fantasy leagues.

Brian Bannister limited the Tigers to two runs over 7 1/3 innings on Sunday, helping lead the Royals to a 7-2 victory.

Bannister is 6-3 and Zack Greinke is 1-7. So goes this game of baseball. Despite the shiny record, Bannister is pitching almost exactly the same as he did last year, when he finished 7-12 with a 4.73 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, so he's not much of a fantasy asset.

Brian Bannister limited the Rockies to just two earned runs over 7 1/3 innings to earn his third win of the season.

Bannister has gone at least six innings in seven of his nine starts this season. Somehow, he's turned that into three wins despite the Royals' ineptitude. Bannister has been much better than we expected this season, but there's not much upside here. Leave him on waivers.

Brian Bannister was rocked for seven earned runs in just three innings of work during a loss to the White Sox on Wednesday.

The White Sox got all over Bannister from the jump, stringing together three hits including a home run from Andruw Jones. This ugly outing puts Bannister's numbers back in line with what we expected -- he's now sporting a 5.03 ERA and 1.44 WHIP.

Brian Bannister gave up one run on two hits over seven innings as part of a no-decision in a win over the Rays on Friday night.

Somebody was bound to snuff out the Rays sooner or later, but Bannister was an unlikely candidate. He kept the Rays off the board completely after giving up a solo home run to Evan Longoria in the second inning. Bannister owns a 3.48 ERA through his first five starts, but he remains a poor choice in fantasy terms.

Brian Bannister was knocked around for six runs over 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Blue Jays on Monday night.

Bannister looked good over his first two starts, but a return to Earth was in order. He allowed seven hits -- including two home runs -- while walking four and striking out six. While we love that he's Saber-friendly, the reality is that he's nothing more than a middling option in AL-only leagues.