BOSTON — Red Sox fans could soon see a new face manning first base.

Before routing the Cubs 17-0 on Saturday at Fenway Park, Boston finalized a trade with Chicago, acquiring veteran first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper in exchange for cash considerations.

The 33-year-old Cooper was designated for assignment by the Cubs earlier this week, but he could fill an important hole in Boston’s lineup. The Red Sox recently lost standout first baseman Triston Casas to a ribs injury that will sideline him for the foreseeable future.

“Obviously, he’s a guy that can put a good at-bat (together),” manager Alex Cora said of Cooper, who was an All-Star for the Miami Marlins in 2022. “He can hit lefties and righties. He’s a good defender. We’ll sit down and go over what we’re going to do, and we do believe he’s going to help us out.”

The Red Sox placed Casas on the 60-day injured list to clear a roster spot for Cooper. The exact timetable for his return is unclear.

“Casas is going to be out for a while,” Cora said. “We’ve got to be ready for tomorrow. I understand that he’s going to be missed, but my mindset is whoever is playing, it’s going to be tricky.”

The Red Sox likely hope Cooper can be an upgrade over current first baseman Bobby Dalbec, who entered the weekend hitting an ugly .093/.152/.116 on the season. Dalbec went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored Saturday, but one of those hits came against Cubs designated hitter Matt Mervis, who pitched the eighth inning.

Cora “hated” Sox’s late pitching change

Boston’s manager was not keen on the decision to let infielder Pablo Reyes take the mound for the ninth inning. Cora acquiesced to pitching coach Andrew Bailey, who did not want to burn another arm in a game that was not in doubt.

“I hate it, honestly,” Cora said. “I’d never done it before, and (Bailey) was like, ‘Let’s do it, let’s do it.’ You have to save bullets. It was either push (Cam) Booser for three innings or bring in another arm, and knowing where we are pitching-wise, (that would be) wasting bullets in a game like that. So, he convinced me, and we did it.”

Reyes, who pitched in two games last season and one in 2022, allowed one hit and one walk in a scoreless ninth. Five Red Sox pitchers combined to hurl a five-hit shutout, with reliever Justin Slaten earning the win.

Devers back to full strength

The Red Sox had their two highest-paid players back in their desired positions Saturday. Rafael Devers started at third base for the first time since April 16, allowing Masataka Yoshida to resume his designated hitter duties.

Devers DH’d the previous three games in his return from a knee injury. That left no spot in the lineup for Yoshida, who has played just one inning in the outfield this season.

Cora on Saturday said Devers was back to “full-go” and would have no restrictions moving forward, which should mean more playing time for Yoshida.

“There’s only one DH. There’s nothing we can do,” Cora said. “He understands that, and now he’ll play. He should be OK.”

Yoshida frequently played left field in his first season in Boston. But this year’s Red Sox have no plans to use him there outside of emergency situations.

“This decision was made in the offseason,” Cora said. “You guys didn’t talk about it. There’s a reason (Justin Turner, Boston’s primary DH in 2023) is in Toronto. We’re not playing him much in the outfield. If we have to, we have to, but we prefer not.”

Yoshida showed no signs of rust on Saturday, going 4-for-5 with one RBI and three runs scored. Devers was 1-for-4.

Pivetta making strides

Starting pitcher Nick Pivetta took what he called a “really positive” step in his injury rehab, throwing a live batting practice session before Saturday’s game.

“(From a) sharpness perspective, (velocity) perspective, everything was really good,” Pivetta said. “Body-wise, really, really good. So, (I’m) happy.”

Cora liked what he saw from the 31-year-old, who has been sidelined since suffering a flexor strain in his right elbow on April. The next step: a rehab start this week, likely on Thursday.

“He was back to being himself,” Cora said. “The fastball was good, the breaking ball stuff was good and he was able to maintain his stuff throughout. We’ll see how he bounces back (Sunday), but the plan is for him to go on a rehab start, and then we’ll decide when we get him back.”

Pivetta’s 4.04 ERA across 38 appearances last season was the best of his big league career. He was sharp in two starts this season before the injury, allowing one run on eight hits with 13 strikeouts and one walk in 11 innings.

The Red Sox hope the veteran righty soon can rejoin a pitching staff that’s impressed thus far despite being bombarded by injuries. Boston entered Saturday ranked first in the majors in both ERA and ERA by starters.

“It’s really exciting,” Pivetta said. “The guys put in the work this offseason and are taking the strides forward that they really needed to on their own. … It’s a team game, so for everybody to be showing up and doing what they can every day, it’s really good to see.”