The Cleveland Indians decided to keep only two catchers on the roster for the 1948 Cleveland Indians season, and manager Lou Boudreau chose Tipton to back up Jim Hegan. He made his major league debut on May 2, and a month later, in a game on June 6, he had five hits in five plate appearances to give Cleveland a win against the Philadelphia Athletics. Tipton played in 47 games over the course of the season and had a .289 batting average. He also played in one game during the 1948 World Series, striking out in his only appearance.