BOSTON — Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel and left fielder Alexander Canario converged while chasing a fly ball next to the wall down the left-field line Saturday.
At the last second, Morel vaulted over Canario and snagged the ball out of the air. He landed hard, banging his right hip and both his elbows. But he somehow he held on to Red Sox leadoff hitter Jarren Duran’s fly for the last out of the seventh inning.
Director of medical services PJ Mainville ran out to check on Morel, who walked off the field unassisted. Patrick Wisdom replaced him at third base the next inning.
‘‘A little banged-up, but I feel good,’’ Morel said through an interpreter after the game.
The game, which the Cubs lost 17-0, was already bad enough. Adding Morel to the Cubs’ already-long list of injured key players would have made it far worse.
‘‘I think he’s fine,’’ manager Craig Counsell said afterward.
As for Morel’s level of confidence that he would be able to play Sunday, he said he was ‘‘positive.’’
‘‘But we’ll see how I feel tomorrow,’’ he said. ‘‘Ultimately, that decision will be up to the manager.’’
Morel isn’t only the Cubs’ cleanup hitter, but he has been a stalwart defender for the last couple of weeks, his consistent work at third base showing during games.
Morel made two charging plays Saturday, one on a bunt and another on a chopper, throwing on the run to get the runner at first base.
‘‘I think everybody that has tuned in to a Chicago Cubs game can see that work paying off and see him out there at third base and the confidence just overflowing with him,’’ right-hander Ben Brown said. ‘‘He’s really becoming a defensive force. He’s making some plays that are incredible.’’
Cooper traded
The Cubs announced they had traded first baseman Garrett Cooper, whom they had designated for assignment Tuesday, to the Red Sox.
Cooper said during spring training that his free agency came down to a decision between the Cubs and Red Sox.
‘‘Talking with both front offices, me and my agent, there was a situation where there was an opportunity to come in and have that DH/first base/outfield/face lefties [role],’’ Cooper said. ‘‘There was a role [with the Cubs] that I thought that I could win. And the Red Sox was very similar. I just thought the situation was a little bit better [with the Cubs], where I could come in and win a spot.’’
Cooper did win a spot out of spring training. But less than a week after the Cubs activated Wisdom from the 10-day injured list, they designated Cooper for assignment.
Steele update
Left-hander Justin Steele (strained left hamstring) will be headed to Triple-A Iowa on a rehab assignment, Counsell said. He likely will start Wednesday.
The first game action of Steele’s rehab came in extended spring training Friday.
‘‘No concerns,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘He’ll move on to the next step.’’
