Rays Recall Lefty Ian Seymour From Durham, Option Paul Gervase

The Tampa Bay Rays recalled left-hander Ian Seymour from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday and sent down righty Paul Gervase.

The move comes ahead of Tampa Bay's game gainst the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Tuesday night. It is the second pitching staff change the Rays have made in as many days after they recalled right-hander Mason Englert on Monday and optioned lefty Mason Montgomery to Durham.

Seymour, 26, was taken by the Rays with the 57th pick in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Virginia Tech. He made his MLB debut on June 9, earning an extra-innings victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Seymour logged two innings, two strikeouts, two walks and a run.

The next day, the Rays optioned Seymour back to Durham, where he has remained since. In 16 games with the Bulls (15 starts), Seymour is 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 86 innings of work.

His 104 strikeouts are leading the International League, and his 2.62 ERA is second in the IL only to former Duham teammate Joe Boyle (1.85). Boyle was called up Sunday and pitched five innings in the Rays' s win over the Twins, and they had a nice reunion in the Rays' clubhouse on Tuesday.

"He was amazing (Sunday). He's special. We're good friends, and we play catch every day,'' Seymour said. "It's great to see him, and great to see him have that success. But it's also no surprise to me.''

Seymour will be used out of the bullpen with the Rays. The night he was in Boston was his first-ever professional relief appearance. He's started behind and opener once in Durham, but that was it. He came out of the bullpen the first game of his freshman year at Virginia Tech ''and walked the first four dudes I faced,'' Seymour said in Detroit.

Fortunately, he doesn't remember that nightmare well. He only walked two, but hit a batter and gave up a hit.

Gervase heads back to Durham after logging two innings in Tampa Bay's 5-1 Game 1 loss to the Tigers. In the contest, Gervase logged two innings while fanning three batters, allowing two hits, two home runs and a walk.

In five games with the Rays, Gervase has a 4.26 ERA in 6 and 1/3 innings with six strikeouts, six hits, five walks and three earned runs. In 23 games with Durham, Gervase is 2-3 with a 3.78 ERA and 50 punchouts.