If someone had told you during the offseason that Alec Bohm would be hitting just .180 with a .527 OPS through the Phillies' first 41 games, your first reaction—after a few choice words—would likely have been, "Well, at least that opens the door for Aidan Miller." And honestly, you wouldn't have been wrong to think that way. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for the young prospect to step up.
But that was before we knew about Miller's mysterious back injury. The Phillies have been tight-lipped about the details, which only adds to the unease. Since the end of spring training, Miller hasn't appeared in any games. Even more concerning, he hasn't swung a bat yet and hasn't resumed baseball activities. TGP contributor Jeff Kerr reported on May 6th that Miller was still not at that stage, and things haven't improved since.
Just two days later, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki shared on The Phillies Show podcast that Miller had suffered what he called a "setback" after starting to field ground balls and ramp up his baseball activities. It's a frustrating development for a player who seemed poised to make an impact.
The secrecy around the injury naturally fuels worry, but as Zolecki pointed out, this could simply be the Phillies playing it safe with a top prospect. Remember how cautiously they handled Andrew Painter's elbow injury in 2023? That said, these are different injuries to different players, as Phillies prospect expert Matt Winkelman noted. It's not a one-size-fits-all situation.
Still, Miller's lack of progress is hard to ignore. At a time when he might have been knocking on the door of his MLB debut, his timeline now feels uncertain. His debut could be pushed back to later this season—or even into 2027. That's a tough pill to swallow for fans who had already penciled him in as the Phillies' starting third baseman for 2027, especially with Bohm's free agency looming after the 2026 season.
So, how concerned are you about Aidan Miller's future? It's a question that's becoming harder to answer with each passing day.