It took eight years but Jen Pawol made the leap from the minors to a major league spring training game as an umpire at the Grapefruit League opener between the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of The Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Saturday.

Pawol’s spring training debut marked the first time since 2007 that a woman umpired a major league spring training game, last done by Ria Cortesio. With a ponytail coming out of her ballcap, Pawol was stationed at third base.

After the traditional pregame meeting with the umpires and managers at home plate, the group posed for pictures. Nationals manager Dave Martinez shook Pawol’s hand and chatted with her briefly.

Eight years ago, Pawol, a former New Jersey high school softball star who played at Hofstra, became just the seventh woman to umpire a minor league baseball game.

Across the next few weeks, Pawol, 47, will be based in Palm Beach County to work other spring training games. No woman has ever been assigned to umpire a regular season game in the majors.

Pawol’s only play in the top of the first inning was signaling an infield-fly rule on a pop-up by Astros’ Jon Singleton. In the top of the fourth inning, Pawol moved to second base. She went to first base in the seventh inning.

BURNES SHARP IN DEBUT >> Corbin Burnes’ first outing with his new team looked like an abbreviated version of a typical performance with his old one.

Burnes worked one scoreless inning for the Baltimore Orioles and struck out the first two batters he faced Saturday in the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner’s Grapefruit League debut. The Orioles went on to defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on a walk-off homer from prospect Colton Cowser.

The Orioles acquired Burnes last month in a trade that sent left-hander DL Hall, infielder Joey Ortiz and a 2024 competitive balance pick to the Milwaukee Brewers.

“Today was just getting the feet wet, getting out there on the mound, feel the adrenaline going again in a game situation and then get to work with Adley a little bit,” Burnes said of catcher Adley Rutschman.

Burnes, 29, went 45-27 with a 3.26 ERA in six seasons with the Brewers. He went 10-8 last year with a 3.39 ERA, which marked the first time since 2019 that he posted an ERA above 3.00.

He has recorded at least 200 strikeouts each of the last three seasons, including an National League-leading 243 in 2022.

The Brewers traded Burnes because of the likelihood they wouldn’t be able to keep him beyond this season. The three-time All-Star is eligible for free agency at the end of the season.

METS’ FUJINAMI LEAVES CAMP >> New York Mets right-hander Shintaro Fujinami left camp temporarily to return home to Japan to deal with a personal matter.

Fujinami, who turns 30 on April 12, went 7-8 with a 7.18 ERA in 57 relief appearances and seven starts with the A’s and Baltimore last season. He struck out 83 and walked 45 in 79 innings.

KEMP SIGNS WITH REDS >> The Cincinnati Reds agreed to minor league contract with utilityman Tony Kemp, who was invited to big league camp.

Kemp, 32, hit .209 with a .303 on-base percentage, five homers, 27 RBIs and 15 steals in 124 games with the A’s last season, his eighth in the major leagues and fourth with Oakland.