CHICAGO — Chili Davis’ return to Wrigley Field this week may have left him reminiscing about the bad old days.

Now in his third season as Mets hitting coach, Davis held the same job title with the Cubs in 2018. He was fired after that one season because of a disconnect with the players.

The 61-year-old Davis said he has found it easier to deliver his message with the Mets.

“I just think there is a trust factor here and I enjoy it because I left a place there was no trust factor with me and the hitters,” Davis said before the Mets’ ugly 16-4 loss to the Cubs. “This is a breath of fresh air for me right here.”

Davis, who is looking to jump-start a struggling lineup, was later asked if he was surprised the Cubs were still enduring the same kind of offensive troubles they had during his tenure. The Cubs entered play with a .189 team batting average that ranked last in MLB.

“I want to beat them, probably as much as any other team,” Davis said. “I don’t know what the problems are over there. What I saw that went over there, I voiced it to leadership before they fired me. That’s in the past. There’s some good guys over there, I don’t wish them ill and they have lost a lot of players that they had when I was over there.

“They are in a revamping stage right now, but I am sure they are still trying to win. They still have a good ballclub.”

Brandon Nimmo was absent from the starting lineup because of right hip stiffness, according to manager Luis Rojas. Kevin Pillar (0-for-3) started in center field, with Nimmo available off the bench. Slumping Jeff McNeil (1-for-5) replaced Nimmo in the leadoff spot.

“The more reps we get [McNeil], I think the better swings that are going to start coming out, the more looks he’s going to get and that’s just better for him,” Rojas said. “That’s what we want for the guys, just to see more and more pitches.”

Nimmo, according to Rojas, first had hip stiffness on Tuesday and awoke the following day with additional discomfort.

Jacob deGrom will likely remain on normal four days’ rest and pitch Wednesday against the Red Sox, according to Rojas, after he faces the Nationals on Friday. The right-hander is receiving an extra day of rest this week, allowing Joey Lucchesi to slot in against the Cubs in Thursday’s series finale. Lucchesi pitched three innings in Saturday’s doubleheader at Colorado. DeGrom went six innings.

“[DeGrom] asking for an extra day I think is OK,” Rojas said. “But it just blends with Lucchesi as well. It’s early in the season, I know we want to get as many starts as we can from a guy like Jake, but we also want Jake for the whole season.I’m not saying he’s in a situation where his health is compromised, but it’s just an extra day knowing Lucchesi can come back because he made less than 60 pitches.”

J.D. Davis returned to third base, a night after committing two throwing errors. Luis Guillorme and Jonathan Villar are the other options to play the position.

“We want to keep J.D. there, he’s swinging a good bat,” Rojas said. “He played real good defense in camp. I know he had a tough day defensively, but you only get better after days like that because you want to come in and you want to work. That is exactly what he is doing.”