 After spending four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut with the Indians on July 3, 1973.In his first game, Ashby was a defensive replacement in the ninth inning, as he caught Jerry Johnson for a scoreless inning as the Indians lost 5-4 against the Detroit Tigers.The next day, on July 4, Ashby was in the starting lineup, going 1 for 4 with an RBI in Cleveland's 5-2 win over the Tigers.