He played all or parts of seven seasons in Major League Baseball between 1992 and 2003 for the Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles, mostly as a relief pitcher.

He made his professional baseball debut with the Myrtle Beach Blue Jays of the South Atlantic League in 1987, where he had a very impressive season, earning a 14–2 record and a 1.73 ERA in 21 games.

Linton made his Blue Jays debut on August 3, 1992, where he pitched 3.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run and striking out four as Toronto lost 7–1 to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Linton struggled after that game, allowing 19 earned runs in six innings over four appearances, and was sent back to the Chiefs at the end of August.

He earned his first Angels victory on July 7, pitching a scoreless ninth inning as California defeated the Boston Red Sox 7–6.

Linton made his Royals debut working out of the bullpen on April 29, 1995, allowing 3 runs in 3.2 innings as Kansas City lost 10–3 to the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium.

Linton sat out the 1997 season due to injury, then later signed a contract with the New York Yankees on January 26, 1998, however, he was released during spring training on March 14.

He lost his next start, 7–4, also to Toronto at SkyDome, and was demoted first to the Orioles bullpen, then to their Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings of the International League.

On February 21, 2000, Linton agreed to a contract with the Colorado Rockies and was sent to their AAA affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Pacific Coast League at the end of Spring Training, spending the season with the Sky Sox, posting a record of 10–13 with a 5.38 ERA in 28 starts.

Linton signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers on January 15, 2001, however, he was released at the end of Spring Training on April 1.

Linton next came back for his second stint in the New York Mets organization, signing as a free agent on May 9, 2001 and was assigned to their AAA affiliate the Norfolk Tides of the International League, compiling a 7–3 record with a 3.21 ERA in 12 starts before being sold to the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization, where he finished the 2001 season.

Linton made his return in a Blue Jays uniform on March 31, 2003, when he pitched two scoreless innings in relief as Toronto lost 8–4 to the Yankees.