Dovydas Neverauskas

Dovydas Neverauskas (born January 14, 1993) is a Lithuanian professional baseball pitcher for the Spire City Ghost Hounds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He was the first player from Lithuania in MLB and NPB history.[1]

Dovydas Neverauskas
Neverauskas pitching in 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates spring training
Spire City Ghost Hounds – No. 35
Pitcher
Born: (1993-01-14) January 14, 1993
Vilnius, Lithuania
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Professional debut
MLB: April 24, 2017, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
NPB: May 30, 2021, for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
MLB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Win–loss record1–4
Earned run average6.89
Strikeouts76
NPB statistics
(through 2021 season)
Win–loss record0-1
Earned run average10.13
Strikeouts2
Teams

Career

Amateur

Neverauskas's father, who coaches youth baseball and national teams and promotes the sport in Lithuania, encouraged him to play baseball, despite it not being well known in the country. Neverauskas said there were no baseball fields in the country.[2] He attended training camps in Italy to better learn the game.[1] He attended his first MLB game in 2006 on a trip with his father. He attended MLB's European Baseball Academy in 2008 and 2009.[2]

Pittsburgh Pirates

Neverauskas signed with the Pirates as a free agent in 2009.[3] He was converted into a relief pitcher in 2015.[4] He began the 2016 season with the Altoona Curve of the Class AA Eastern League,[3] and was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the Class AAA International League in June.[5] He pitched a scoreless inning in the 2016 All-Star Futures Game.[6][7] The Pirates added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season.[8]

On April 24, 2017, Neverauskas made his Major League Baseball debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched two innings, allowed one run, and had one strikeout.[9] Neverauskas picked up his first Major League win on August 6, 2017, when the Pirates defeated the San Diego Padres in 11 innings. He pitched two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out three.[10] He finished the season for the Pirates pitching in 25+1⁄3 innings with a 3.91 ERA. The following season, he pitched the majority of the season at the AAA level, registering an ERA of 8 for the Pirates in 25 games.

Neverauskas was designated for assignment by the Pirates on November 1, 2020, and released on November 3.[11]

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

On November 16, 2020, Neverauskas signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the 2021 season.[12][13] He made his NPB debut on May 30, 2021, taking the loss against the Chiba Lotte Marines. He only pitched in one game in total, he was unable to produce results in the farm team. Neverauskas returned to the U.S. on October 6, 2021, and released on November 1.

Bonn Capitals

On March 23, 2022, Neverauskas signed with the Bonn Capitals of the German Baseball-Bundesliga.[14] The first inning he pitched in the Bundesliga was an immaculate inning.[15]

Spire City Ghost Hounds

On February 27, 2023, Neverauskas signed with the Spire City Ghost Hounds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[16]

References
  1. "The Pirates called up Dovydas Neverauskas, the first born-and-raised Lithuanian in MLB history". MLB.com.
  2. "Neverauskas takes long road to Futures Game". MLB.com.
  3. "Lithuanian pitcher hopes to make history". Altoona Mirror. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  4. "South Atlantic League notebook: San Francisco Giants' Samuel Coonrod starts to see results with the Augusta GreenJackets – MiLB.com News – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  5. "Pirates prospect Dovydas Neverauskas proud to represent Lithuania, Mariners prospect Tyler O'Neill, Marlins prospect Josh Naylor represent Canada at Futures Game – MiLB.com News – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  6. "Dansby Swanson, Yoan Moncada headline 2016 Futures Game rosters". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  7. Berg, Ted (July 15, 2016). "Meet the Pirates prospect who will soon become MLB's first Lithuanian". USA Today. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  8. "Pirates add Neverauskas, Osuna to 40-man roster". Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  9. "Lithuanian reliever Neverauskas makes debut for Pirates". AP News. April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  10. Berry, Adam; Toye, Jonathan (August 6, 2017). "S-Rod celebrates return with walk-off vs. Padres". Major League Baseball. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  11. "Major League Baseball Transactions". MLB.com. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  12. "ドビーダス・ネヴァラウスカス選手、選手契約合意！". www.carp.co.jp (in Japanese). November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  13. "Dovydas Neverauskas: Moving on to Japan". CBSSports.com. November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  14. "Pitcherriege mit Topverstärkungen". Bonn Capitals (in German). March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  15. "EXTRA-INNING-THRILLER UND DRAMA IN BERLIN / SHUTOUT FÜR BONN". Baseball Bundesliga (in German). April 10, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  16. "Atlantic League Professional Baseball: Transactions". www.atlanticleague.com.
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