The soreness in Quentin Grimes’ left foot has subsided again and he returned to action for the Knicks on Wednesday night.

How long that lasts, though, remains to be seen. The second-year guard has been in and out multiple times already due to the problematic foot, which dates back to the first practice of training camp. He appeared in just one preseason game, missed almost all of training camp and played in two regular-season games before being held out of the following two.

“Just normal protocol, follow the trainers’ plans,” coach Tom Thibodeau said before the Knicks were blasted by the Nets, 112-85. “If he doesn’t have soreness, he goes.”

Grimes scored three points in four minutes of garbage time.

Asked if it would better serve Grimes to sit for an extended period, Thibodeau said: “You trust the doctors, you trust your trainers, you trust Quentin. Just let him work his way through it. Obviously, he’s been out for a while now, so the conditioning piece of it is important also.”

After Grimes was inserted into the starting lineup Friday against the 76ers, replacing Evan Fournier, Cam Reddish received the next three starts. Reddish had played well until Wednesday, when he missed all seven of his shots in 18 minutes.

Jericho Sims made his second straight start at center rather than Isaiah Hartenstein. Thibodeau said part of the reason to start with Sims is that Hartenstein is used to playing with the second unit.

“I thought he played really well and I thought Isaiah did as well,” Thibodeau said, referring to the win Monday over the Timberwolves. “Some of it was continuity with the second unit with Isaiah. And Jericho gives you athleticism at the rim.”

In 26 minutes Wednesday, Sims had seven points, six rebounds and three blocks.

“The thing that I do like about him is the pressure that he puts on the rim,” Thibodeau said. “I think it forces the defense to collapse and open up other things for us. And he gets out of his screens usually pretty quickly. And he plays above the rim, so I like that part of him.”