Justin Steele returns from IL, Cubs squander his strong start in 6-3 loss to Padres

The cheers swelled as the crowd rose to its feet, Cubs fans sending off Justin Steele from his first start back from the injured list with a standing ovation. Steele’s face didn’t betray any emotion that might have come from his return. It was business as usual — and that’s exactly how he pitched.

“Felt really good, especially pitching at Wrigley again in front of the fans,” Steele said after throwing 4 ⅔ scoreless innings in the Cubs’ 6-3 loss to the Padres on Monday. “Really awesome just to be back with the team again, in the locker room hanging out with the guys and stuff.”

Counsell said before the game that Steele would have some pitch limitations, even though he was in a ‘‘great spot healthwise.’’ Monday was Steele’s second start of the regular season; he had strained a hamstring in his Opening Day start. And he only had only thrown two rehab games, one in extended spring training and one with Triple-A Iowa.

He threw 68 pitches against the Padres, but that early exit was the only aspect of his start that gave away how long he had been out. And the Padres pounced on the bullpen to claim the victory.

In the 5 1/2 weeks since Steele’s injury, the Cubs’ rotation fared better than could have been expected, especially considering that he wasn’t the only starter who landed on the IL during that time.

The Cubs are still without left-hander Jordan Wicks (strained left forearm), who was hitting his stride when he went on the IL, and right-hander Kyle Hendricks (strained lower back), who wasn’t. Right-hander Jameson Taillon’s season was delayed a couple of weeks by a back strain in spring training.

Still, entering Monday, the rotation’s 2.61 ERA since April 14 ranked second in the National League to the Phillies’ 2.53.

‘‘Our starting pitching has been excellent,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘Some of the guys that were in the rotation all year, Shota [Imanaga] and Javy [Assad], have been brilliant. Jameson Taillon has been excellent. And then Hayden [Wesneski] and Ben [Brown] have been really important, both in the bullpen and starting, and done an excellent job.’’

In the Cubs’ weekend series against the Brewers, Wesneski, Taillon and Assad all made scoreless starts of at least six innings.

“I thought this weekend was as well as you can pitch in the rotation,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “Really fun to watch.’’

With Steele back, the rotation should be even better.

“I’m just excited,” Steele said. “And you want to show up to the ballpark and play each day because you feel like we have a good chance to win each day, especially the way everybody’s throwing the ball.”

Steele wasted no time finding the strike zone. He got an out on his first pitch, a fastball on the outer third of the plate that Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez hit on the ground at third baseman Nick Madrigal.

But the height of Steele’s efficiency came in the third, when he needed only six pitches to get three outs, all on flies.

“Justin pitched very well,” Counsell said. “We’ve got to build up some endurance still. But for where we’re at, I thought he delivered a great performance, exactly what we needed, and great first step.”

After he left the game, however, the Padres put together a six-run sixth against relievers Richard Lovelady and Daniel Palencia.

The Cubs, who had been blanked for five innings by Yu Darvish, countered with a two-run home run from Christopher Morel in the bottom of the sixth, his fourth homer in his last five games. And Yan Gomes tacked on another run with a solo shot in the seventh. But despite loading the bases with no outs in the eighth, they didn’t score again.