Linares spent 20 seasons with Pinar del Río in Cuba's National Series, compiling a career .368 batting average, the best in the league's history, with 404 home runs (third among all-times in Cuban league), 1,547 runs batted in and 264 stolen bases.

At the end of his career, Linares spent three seasons with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Central League, retiring in 2004.

As a 14-year-old, Linares was the starting second baseman for the Cuba national youth team at the World Championship, where they won gold.

The inclusion of Linares in the Cuba national baseball team at the age of 17, as an optional replacement of slugger Jose "Cheito" Rodriguez after his suspension by the Cuba National baseball commission, is attributed to former manager Jose Miguel Pineda.

Linares also played for the Cuba national team in their 1999 exhibition series versus the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball.