South Africa’s Gift Ngoepe has signed a minor league contract with the major league baseball club Philadelphia Phillies.

The 29-year-old from Randburg also received an invitation to attend the Phillies spring training as a non-roster invitee.

If Ngoepe impresses, he could return to the big leagues this season.

In 2017, Ngoepe made history by becoming the first-ever African-born player to appear in an MLB game when he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The South African infielder was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017, but released in August last year.

After that Ngoepe competed in the Australian baseball league where he played in 30 games for the Sydney Blue Sox.

In his two-year MLB stint, Ngoepe has scored 6 RBIs (runs batted in), 13 hits and failed to score a home run.