Texas Rangers Fairbanks was drafted by the
Texas Rangers in the ninth round, with the 258th overall selection, of the
2015 MLB draft. He spent his debut season of 2015 with the
Spokane Indians of the
Low-A Northwest League, going 1–2 with a 3.14 ERA over 57 innings. He spent the 2016 season with the
Hickory Crawdads of the
Single-A South Atlantic League, going 4–5 with a 4.88 ERA in 101 innings. He opened the 2017 season with the
Down East Wood Ducks of the
High-A Carolina League, going 2–1 with a 5.79 ERA in innings. Fairbanks suffered a second torn
UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery a second time during the 2017 season. He went 1–0 with a 2.92 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings for them. On May 9, he was promoted to the
Frisco RoughRiders of the
Texas League. He went 1–0 with a 0.00 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 7 innings for them. On May 29, he was promoted to the
Nashville Sounds of the
Triple-A Pacific Coast League. On June 8, Fairbanks's contract was selected and he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his major league debut on June 9, recording three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of relief.
Tampa Bay Rays On June 29, 2019, Fairbanks pitched against the
Tampa Bay Rays at
Tropicana Field and caught the attention of the Rays' front office. On July 13, the Rangers traded Fairbanks to the Rays in exchange for
Nick Solak. After the trade, he was assigned to the Triple-A
Durham Bulls. Fairbanks finished the 2019 season going 2–3 with a 6.86 ERA over 21 MLB innings. In 2020, Fairbanks threw in 27 games of the 60-game season. He posted an ERA of 2.70, recording 39 strikeouts in innings. In Game 7 of the
Championship Series against the
Houston Astros, Fairbanks recorded a four-out save as the Rays
won the
American League pennant. On July 7, 2021, Fairbanks combined with
Collin McHugh,
Josh Fleming,
Diego Castillo, and
Matt Wisler to no–hit the
Cleveland Indians. However, since the feat was achieved in a truncated seven–inning
doubleheader game, it was not recorded as an official
no-hitter. Fairbanks made 47 appearances in 2021, pitching to a 3.59 ERA with 56 strikeouts in innings pitched. On March 30, 2022, it was announced that Fairbanks would miss three months of action after suffering a 50% tear of his lat muscle. Fairbanks was activated off the injured list on July 17. In his season debut against the
Baltimore Orioles, he allowed a run on two hits with two strikeouts in an inning of work. He appeared in 24 games for the Rays in 2022, logging a 1.13 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. He also saved eight games in eight opportunities. On January 27, 2023, Fairbanks signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Rays. He appeared in 49 games for the Rays in 2023, logging a 2.58 ERA with 68 strikeouts in innings pitched. Fairbanks also saved 25 games in 29 opportunities. In 2024, Fairbanks appeared in 46 games for the Rays, logging a 3.57 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 23 saves over innings pitched. Fairbanks made 61 appearances for Tampa Bay during the 2025 campaign, compiling a 4–5 record and 2.83 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 27 saves across innings pitched. The Rays declined Fairbanks' 2026 option on November 6, 2025, making him a free agent.
Miami Marlins On December 28, 2025, Fairbanks signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the
Miami Marlins. ==Personal life==