An Austin, TX product, Linebrink was originally signed by the Giants and made his debut with them in 2000 before the Astros brought him back to Texas in exchange for reliever Doug Henry. He made brief appearances with Houston the next three years from the bullpen but was pressed into a starting role in 2003.

On May 23, 2003, he got his first big league win, a 7-5 victory over the Cubs. The next day, the Astros released him as they tried to activate a player from the disabled list. As an Astro, his record was 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA.

The Padres swooped up Linebrink and watched him turn into a dependable set-up reliever. He moved on to the Brewers and White Sox through 2009, compiling a 35-25 record over 10 seasons with a 3.40 ERA.