Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

For Bucks forward Khris Middleton, the return may be short-lived.

That’s because Middleton exited Sunday’s stunning road loss to the Rockets with a left ankle sprain. He headed to the locker room in the second quarter and did not return.

On the bright side, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer did not sound overly concerned.

“He should be fine. It’s a couple of very minor things,” Budenholzer said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Hopefully he’ll be fine.”

Middleton has appeared in just four games this season after undergoing offseason wrist surgery. He made his season debut on Dec. 2 vs. the Lakers.

Middleton, 31, is 6-foot-7 and a three-time All-Star, and widely viewed as the Bucks’ second-best player behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. He missed the Bucks’ second-round playoff series against the Celtics with the injury. 

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