LOS ANGELES — Baseball history was quietly on display Friday evening when Jen Pawol took her position behind home plate for the matchup between the Angels and Dodgers.
Pawol broke new ground last season when she became the first female umpire to officiate major league games. During Friday’s contest, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani acknowledged her presence with his typical greeting to the home plate umpire as he stepped into the batter’s box to start the bottom of the first inning.
The 49-year-old official participated in spring training for her third consecutive year but was not selected for a permanent position on MLB’s umpiring staff. She currently serves on the league’s call-up roster.
Earlier this season on April 17, Pawol officiated her first contest featuring the new automated balls and strikes challenge technology when the Giants played the Nationals.
Her groundbreaking debut in the major leagues occurred on Aug. 9, 2025, and she completed five games at the highest level during that season. The previous year marked another milestone when she became the first woman to work big league spring training contests since Ria Cortesio accomplished the feat in 2007. Pawol has officiated minor league baseball since 2016 and advanced to Triple-A level in 2023.
Friday’s game featured some early excitement that could have led to more historic moments for Pawol.
Angels pitcher Reid Detmers kept the Dodgers without a hit through three complete innings before Freddie Freeman broke through with a single in the fourth frame.
On the other side, Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki maintained his no-hitter through four innings until Nick Madrigal connected for a double in the fifth inning.
