KANSAS CITY — Clay Holmes isn’t satisfied by merely making it back to a big-league mound.

The right-hander’s fractured fibula had forced a lengthy rehab process since sustaining the injury May 15 with the New York Mets, and his Chicago Cubs debut Saturday night didn’t feature the typical crispness. Holmes allowed four runs, six hits and two walks in four innings and struck out one batter in the Cubs’ 6-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Cubs (68-50).

Holmes induced nine ground-ball outs, including two double plays.

“It took a lot of work to get back to this point, and it definitely felt good to just be back in the big-league game — obviously, that’s not the full goal,” Holmes said. “You want to be back and helping this team win games, and I just wasn’t quite sharp enough tonight, but it was a good step.

“It’s rewarding to be able to come back, and I’m really close to being myself.”

The sinkerballer experienced some command issues with the pitch, especially early. He surrendered a solo home run to Jac Caglianone in the first inning off a sinker over the plate, then allowed a two-run single to Josh Rojas the next inning on a sinker that wasn’t low enough in the zone. Holmes grinded through a three-hit third inning but couldn’t get through it unscathed after Caglianone, who finished a four-hit night with pairs of home runs and doubles, got enough on a low sweeper to put the Royals up 4-0.

“Just wanting to be back and really just be in the zone early, and I think some excitement early,” Holmes said of the command issues. “I’m not going to say overthrowing, but you’re excited, and it’s just a matter of controlling that. I was able to find the zone. Obviously, left that one up to Caglianone. He put a couple good swings on some balls tonight, but really it’s just, you know, settling in and know I don’t have to do too much. I’m not really going to overpower people, and it’s just relying on the movement and making pitches.”

Manager Craig Counsell expected Holmes’ journey into game action could mirror how Matthew Boyd returned from his nearly two-month layoff following knee surgery. Holmes wasn’t expected to go deep into the game as he works back to form, and he threw 70 pitches Saturday.

“In the end, it kind of looked like a first start,” Counsell said. “I think the first couple innings he just left the sinkers up a little bit. As the game went on, we saw more sinkers down. He didn’t have all of his offspeed pitches cooking on the night like he needs to. Kind of battled through that. He’ll get better as we go here.”

The offense didn’t muster much against Royals starter Seth Lugo and their bullpen. Carson Kelly’s two-run double in the fourth cut into the Cubs’ four-run deficit, and Ian Happ followed in the sixth with a solo home run to bring the Cubs within one. Happ, whose home run snapped an 0-for-22 stretch, added a double in the eighth.

Right-hander Colin Rea gave the bullpen a needed night off by taking the last four innings in relief, giving up two runs on four hits.

“I know it’s a loss, and that’s not good, but to give everybody a day off, it was really important,” Counsell said. “So job well done by Colin.”