The Chicago-born righthander signed with the Astros in 1966 and debuted with them in 1969. In parts of three seasons, Spinks posted a 1-1 record with a 5.40 ERA. He was traded to St. Louis where he had his best success, compiling a 6-10 record over two seasons. For his full career, his record was 7-11 with a 3.70 ERA and seven complete games.