A lefthander from Michigan, Powell came up with the Reds in 1993 and was sent to the Astros the following spring for catcher Ed Taubensee. He spent parts of two seasons in Houston, posting a 6.61 ERA in 16-1/3 innings before he was dealt to the Pirates in 1995. For his three big league seasons, Powell's combined mark was 0-5 with a 5.40 ERA.