He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and Seattle Mariners.

[2] Kinney signed as a free agent with the River City Rascals of the independent Frontier League on June 1, 2001.

In 2002, Kinney was promoted to the Single-A Advanced Potomac Cannons in the Carolina League, where he had a 2.29 earned run average (ERA) in 44 appearances.

For the start of the 2003 season, Kinney remained at Single-A Advanced level but St. Louis disaffiliated with the Cannons, creating instead the Palm Beach Cardinals in Florida State League.

[2] His first major league pitch was hit for a home run by the Atlanta Braves' Ryan Langerhans.

After a few poor outings to begin 2007 spring training, Kinney had season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament.

[3] A fractured elbow while rehabbing in 2007 further delayed his return, and Kinney did not make it back to the Cardinals until September 2008.

Kinney made the St. Louis Cardinals team out of spring training in 2009 but was optioned back to Memphis on April 17 after three appearances.

During that stint, Kinney earned his first Major League win, against the Minnesota Twins, on June 27 with 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and stranding two runners.

He was called up on August 19 to replace Philip Humber, who was hit in the head by a line drive and was placed on the disabled list.