[citation needed] Patterson was selected by the Chicago Cubs as the third overall pick in the 1998 Major League Baseball draft.

In 2003, he batted .298 with 55 RBI in only 83 games before suffering a torn ACL while running to first on a base hit against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 6.

Published reports indicated that center fielder Félix Pie, the Cubs' top prospect, was slated to be called up from Double-A West Tenn in July when Patterson was sent down.

[citation needed] Patterson was back up with the Major League team on August 9, after his one-month stint in Triple-A Iowa.

Patterson was traded by the Cubs to the Orioles on January 9, 2006, for Class-A Minor league players Nate Spears and Carlos Perez.

[7] Patterson was invited to the Reds' spring training camp, and he started the 2008 season in center field for Cincinnati.

[citation needed] The following day top outfield prospect Jay Bruce was called up from the Triple-A Louisville Bats to start in center field, demoting Patterson to the Reds' bench.

[8] The demotion lasted only one week, however, when Patterson was recalled to replace Ryan Freel, who went to the disabled list with a strained right hamstring on June 4.

On December 18, 2008, Patterson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Washington Nationals.

[citation needed] Due to Josh Willingham being placed on the bereavement list, Patterson had his contract purchased from the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs on June 13, 2009.

It was a remarkable feat as Patterson faced the season's eventual saves leader and rookie of the year in the hard throwing Neftalí Feliz, with a 2–2 count and two outs in the top of the 9th inning representing the tying run.

On December 21, 2010, Patterson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays.

[18] Patterson made his regular season debut as a Blue Jay on April 11, 2011, against the Seattle Mariners, hitting a home run and finishing the night 2–4 with 2 RBI On July 27, 2011, Patterson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals with Octavio Dotel, Marc Rzepczynski and Edwin Jackson for Colby Rasmus, P. J. Walters, Trever Miller and Brian Tallet.

[21] He signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners on April 30, 2013, but was released on June 6, after hitting only .175 in 19 games for the AAA Tacoma Rainiers.