Pirates call up Gift Ngoepe, 1st African-born player in MLB history

The Pittsburgh Pirates are quickly becoming Major League Baseball's version of the United Nations.

Two days after making Dovydas Neverauskas the first born-and-raised Lithuanian to play in the majors, the Pirates announced Wednesday that South African infielder Gift Ngoepe has been called up to MLB.

Ngoepe became the first black South African player to sign a professional baseball contract in 2008, and would be the first African-born player in MLB history once he makes his debut.

The 27-year-old appeared in 15 games with Triple-A Indianapolis this season, hitting .241/.308/.379 with one home run, three doubles, and 22 strikeouts.

In a corresponding move, the Pirates sent Neverauskas back to Triple-A to make room for Ngoepe.

Following Ngoepe's addition, the Pirates will have representation from the United States, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and South Africa on their 25-man roster.