Aidan Miller was set up to have a big spring training with the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished the 2025 season on a tear in the Minor Leagues, and with several players competing in the World Baseball Classic, the Phillies’ top prospect was in line for plenty of playing time.
Unfortunately, a back injury, which has turned out to be recurring, has kept Miller off the field and prevented him from making his Grapefruit League debut.
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At first, manager Rob Thomson said last week the Phillies were just being cautious with the injury, considering how early it was in camp, which makes sense.
However, this week, the tone around Miller is changing as President Dave Dombrowski discussed the injury on Saturday.
“I can’t answer the question that it’s chronic at this point. Anytime a guy’s out with an injury and it comes back, there’s a little concern,” said Dombowski.
“Our people felt that he was making some good progress here and was feeling good coming into Spring Training. He had a setback with some things, and I guess finding exactly what caused it. Nobody knows exactly.”
Feb 25, 2025; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (96) slides safely into second base against Philadelphia Phillies infielder Aidan Miller (81) at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
It’s definitely concerning for both the Phillies and Miller that there really aren’t any answers as to why the back injury has come back and why it hasn’t gone away yet.
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At this point, the goal shouldn’t be for Miller to get into a Spring Training game.
As great as it would be to see him potentially share the field with Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, or Trea Turner, the Phillies need to think about what’s best for Miller’s 2026 season, and that might be holding off on game activity until the Minor League year begins.
If there is any good news from Dombrwoski, it’s that “they tell me he’s making progress right now, and hopefully he’ll continue to do so. There’s still even some hope that he’d be ready for the beginning of the season.”
As Philadelphia continues getting ready for the 2026 season, monitoring Miller’s injury and checking in on his progress will be a key storyline to follow as the team gets closer to Opening Day.
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