Phillies announce unfortunate Aidan Miller surgery update on back injury

The Philadelphia Phillies came into the 2026 season expecting to see two of their top prospects, Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford, make their MLB debuts.

While neither has exactly been Rookie of the Year caliber in 2026, they've both had their moments for the Phillies at the MLB level already. But what about their other top prospect, Aidan Miller?

Paul Casella of MLB.com shared an announcement from the Phillies on Miller, which revealed some unfortunate surgery news for the Phillies' top prospect amid his ongoing back injury.

Phillies announce surgery for Aidan Miller

"From the Phillies: After seeing spine specialists recently, Phillies prospect Aidan Miller will undergo a minimally invasive procedure called a radiofrequency ablation of the facet joints on Friday," Casella shared. "He'll rest 1 week then return to rehab with goal of game activity in 6-8 weeks."

Miller has been dealing with a back issue for some time and hasn't been able to suit up for the Phillies at all this season.

The 21-year-old infield prospect has garnered a lot of hype recently, especially after his breakout 2025 campaign.

Miller hit .264 last season with an .825 OPS across 116 games with 114 hits, 82 runs scored, 27 doubles, two triples, 14 homers, 42 RBIs, 82 walks, and 59 strikeouts.

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He was rising up prospect rankings, and is the Phillies' best prospect at the moment. But, with this surgery and six to eight week recovery, the Phillies won't be able to see their top prospect for quite some time this season.

There was some thought about Miller being a potential Alec Bohm replacement in 2026 if Bohm struggled, but that's completely out of the window with Miller's surgery.

Miller is going to be out for a while and won't be back until potentially August. This situation has been concerning for Miller, and now, he's having surgery and will miss significant time this season.

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