June 03, 2026
Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images
Top Phillies prospect Aidan Miller has yet to play this season because of a persisting back issue.
Aidan Miller won't see the field again for another 6-8 weeks.
The top Phillies infield prospect, who has been dealing with persisting back issues since spring training, will have a "minimally invasive procedure" to address them on Friday, the club announced.
The full statement from the Phillies regarding Miller, released Wednesday afternoon:
"Phillies infielder Aidan Miller has been diagnosed with discogenic pain and facet inflammation in the lumbar spine. Due to recurrence of low back pain when returning to baseball activities, he was seen by spine specialists over the last couple of weeks. The specialists were in agreement that the recommended course of treatment is a minimally invasive called a radiofrequency ablation of the facet joints.
"Miller will have the procedure performed this Friday, June 5. He will rest for one week after the procedure and then return to his rehabilitation with the goal to return to game activity in six to eight weeks."
The Phillies' first-round pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, at 27th overall, Miller was immediately seen as a potential draft steal who was never all that far away from the Phillies' spring Clearwater complex as a Dunedin, Fla. native.
The 21-year-old moved through the farm system and up the Philadelphia prospect rankings quickly, and coming into this spring, Miller looked set to at least put some heat on the heels of veteran Alec Bohm as the next everyday third baseman.
But then the back issues crept up, kept Miller off the field, and never went away, only leaving him tiptoeing back into any baseball activities before a setback would pull him back into rehab, which manager Don Mattingly said happened last week.
The procedure and ensuing 6-8 week timeline, barring any other setbacks, would see Miller finally get back to the field sometime in early August.
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