Phillies prospect Aidan Miller (back) has no timeline to return to baseball activities
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Phillies prospect Aidan Miller’s bothersome back issue is still preventing him from ramping up for the season.
Dave Dombrowski, Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations, issued the latest update on the former first-round draft pick on Sunday at BayCare Ballpark, saying that Miller does not have a timeline to return to baseball activities.
“He continues to work out. Not much baseball,” Dombrowski said. “He’s running, jogging, doing those types of things. A very slow progress — purposely. We’re doing that with him.”
Miller, 21, will not appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring after being invited to big-league camp as a non-roster invitee. He dealt with back soreness in the minor leagues last season, and the discomfort has kept him away from the field during camp this year.
Dombrowski maintained that Miller’s continued absence is not necessarily an indication of the severity of his injury, but rather that the Phillies are exercising “an abundance of caution.” Still, it has to be at least somewhat concerning that Miller’s back problems have lingered and kept him from regularly swinging and throwing for much of this spring.
The 27th overall pick in 2023, Miller is a top prospect with an advanced approach at the plate and has showcased surprising speed and an ability to stick at shortstop defensively. He batted .264 with an .865 OPS and 59 stolen bases in 112 minor-league games in 2025 and reached Triple-A at the end of the season.
With third baseman Alec Bohm in his final year of team control, Miller could have a path to playing time in the Phillies’ infield by 2027. Of course, he’ll need to be healthy in order to fully seize that potential opportunity. With that in mind, the organization will take its time with Miller. All signs point to him not being ready to start the season when Triple-A Lehigh Valley opens International League play on Friday.
“You don’t want to push him too fast, and then all of a sudden we go backwards,” Dombrowski said. “Backs are a little bit tricky.”