Phillies Announce Aidan Miller Will Have Back Procedure
Shortstop Aidan Miller has been out the entire season with a back injury, and Wednesday the Phillies provided clarity on the situation and the path forward. After seeing several specialists, he was diagnosed with discogenic pain and facet inflammation, which is causing his lower back pain. He is set to undergo a minimally invasive procedure on Friday, and after resting for a week, is expected to start his rehab process again. The Phillies hope is that he is back in game action in 6-8 weeks.
Miller’s back issues date back to last season, as he was set to participate in the Arizona Fall League. He was on the roster initially, but was pulled at the last minute due to recurring pain in his lower back. His lower back continued to bother him this spring, and he was shut down from baseball activities before resuming them in May. On May 31, the Phillies provided an update, announcing he had transitioned back to focusing on his rehab rather than light baseball activities at the Phillies’ complex in Clearwater.
Heading into the season, Miller was seen as one of the top prospects in all of baseball after hitting .264/.392/.433 with 14 home runs and 59 steals as a 21-year-old between Double-A and Triple-A. He still ranks as the top prospect in the Phillies’ system after the graduations of Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford and ranks No. 61 in the newly released Top 100.
