A journeyman reliever, Figueroa pitched for the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Brewers, Pirates and Mets before he was claimed on waivers by the Astros in July of 2010. He stepped into the starting rotation and did surprisingly well with a 5-3 mark and 3.22 ERA.

That led to a new contract for 2011 and, for the first time in his career, some job security. Unfortunately, he got off to a bad start , was sent to the minors and was eventually released. That was his final work in the majors. Over nine big league seasons, Figueroa's record was 20-35 with a 4.55 ERA and one save.