Ian Seymour’s return to Fenway Park hard for even him to believe

BOSTON — Ian Seymour had sat in stands at Fenway Park plenty of time as a fan, but he had been on the field just once before Monday.

He was 10 years old, his Little League team from his nearby hometown of Westborough had won a contest to raise the most money for the Boston-based Jimmy Fund charity, and the players were acknowledged on the field.

“We all came out before a game,” he recalled. “I kicked the warning track, picked up some dirt and put it in a plastic bag.”

Monday was a little cooler.

Called up from Triple-A Durham somewhat unexpectedly on Saturday to provide coverage for a heavily-used bullpen if needed, the 26-year-old lefty realized after the drive from Jacksonville (where the Bulls were playing) that the Rays were headed next to Boston.

And, at least for Monday, he was with them as a major-leaguer.

“Honestly, I’m just enjoying it,” he said. “If I was going to tell the kid who was kicking dirt and picking it up that we were going to be here, I don’t know if I would have believed it.

“So something that I’m very grateful for. And the guys have just been great at welcoming me.”

Seymour’s mom (who has been visiting him in Jacksonville and drove him to Tampa late Saturday night), plus his dad, brother and sister (who all flew down to Tampa Sunday morning) made it back to Boston to be in the stands in the event Ian makes his debut.

“If I was going to draw it up,” Seymour said, “I don’t think I could have predicted this.”

Fenway first-timersRays outfielder Jake Mangum has experience with Durham’s Blue Monster. Will that aid him at Fenway? [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]

Monday marked the Fenway Park debuts of two other Rays rookies, with leftfielder Jake Mangum and centerfielder Kameron Misner having the usually challenging task of playing in front of the 37-foot Green Monster wall.

But they had a bit of an advantage: Durham’s home park has a similar feature, a 32-foot high leftfield wall known as the Blue Monster.

So while there was some pre-game work to be done on specifics such as balls coming off the scoreboard and ladder above it, Mangum said it was somewhat familiar.

“I’ve got a good idea how to play off the leftfield wall,” Mangum said. “A year of that, you kind of learn the angle a little bit.”

Mangum, Misner and Seymour all participated in another Fenway first-time ritual, going inside the Monster and signing the wall.

“This is a dream come true for baseball players,” Mangum said. “To get to play in Fenway Park, that’s an honor. … It was really cool to get in the wall and sign your names. I couldn’t stop smiling doing it.”

Added Misner: “This is awesome. Signing the wall was pretty cool.”

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Reliever Eric Orze also was making his first Fenway trip as a big-leaguer.

McClanahan’s next step unclear

After Shane McClanahan threw off the mound at full distance Saturday for the time since his late spring triceps nerve issue, manager Kevin Cash said all went well.

But not well enough to continue his planned throwing progression as Cash said Monday the team was unsure what the next step would be for the ace lefty.

“I don’t know, I really don’t know,” Cash said. “He’s not handling not feeling 100 % well.”

Miscellany

Durham right-hander Joe Boyle, an offseason trade acquisition from the A’s, won International League Pitcher of the Week honors for the third time this season. … With his 20-day rehab assignment at Durham ending Saturday, infielder Ha-Seong Kim is hitting .206 overall, though he is 5-for-his-last 11. …. Dewayne Staats is taking this trip off, so Andy Freed is handling TV duties with Brian Anderson, and Doug Waechter is joining Neil Solondz in the radio booth.

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