MINNEAPOLIS — And just like that, the Yankees are holding their breath again on Aaron Judge.

In his seventh game back from a three-month stay on the injured list for a stress fracture in his right rib, Judge left Wednesday’s game against the Twins with right lower leg tightness, the team said.

Judge was pinch hit for in the sixth inning of a two-run game.

He appeared to grimace on a check swing during his at-bat in the third inning, in which he eventually struck out, but stayed in the game before Heliot Ramos hit for him in the sixth inning.

Yankees’ Aaron Judge looks on after an at-bat against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. Getty Images

Judge also threw a ball in from right field on a double in the bottom of the fifth, though it was not immediately clear when he got injured and what the injury was.

But with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Yankees can ill afford to lose Judge again.

The Yankees had been fairly cautious in easing Judge back into action after his extended absence and not going on a rehab assignment before returning. He had two days fully out of the lineup across his first six games, the most recent one coming on Tuesday after he had played four straight games.

Judge hit his first home run back from the IL on Monday night as the Yankees clinched a playoff berth.