The Philadelphia Phillies sent top prospect Aidan Miller to minor league camp, ending any chance he’d make the Opening Day roster. John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia broke the news that Miller’s still dealing with the back issue that’s plagued him since last season.
“Phillies top prospect, Aidan Miller, has been sent to the minor league camp,” Clark reports.
The move isn’t exactly shocking. Miller didn’t see any Spring Training action because of that lingering back problem, and even without the injury, his path to the big league roster was pretty narrow.
Alec Bohm was always going to hold down third base, while Trea Turner and Bryson Stott have the middle infield locked up. The Phillies aren’t about to let their top prospect ride the bench when he could be getting everyday reps in Triple-A.
Miller joined a group of prospects heading to minor league camp, including Andrew Bechtold, Michael Mercado, Kehden Hettiger, Mark Kolozsvary, and Caleb Ricketts.
What makes this move sting a bit is Miller’s breakout 2025 season. The 21-year-old put up some eye-catching numbers between Double-A and Triple-A – 59 stolen bases, an .825 OPS, and 14 home runs in 116 games. That’s the kind of production that gets front offices excited about the future.
The Phillies are in a pretty good spot heading into 2026. Justin Crawford looks ready to take over center field, and Andrew Painter should slot into the rotation. There are some questions about Zach Wheeler and Bryce Harper, but this team’s still built to make a World Series run.
Miller’s delay just means the Phillies will have to be patient with their top prospect a little while longer. The talent’s there, and the production’s been there. Now it’s just about getting healthy and finding the right opportunity to make that MLB debut.
