
The Philadelphia Phillies were patient with shortstop Aidan Miller throughout the 2026 season as he navigated a nagging back issue.
A top prospect in the sport and the team’s No. 1-ranked prospect, he lost some luster this year after losing development time to the injury. However, he was able to get healthy enough to get on the field, making his 2026 debut with Single-A Clearwater this past weekend.
Miller appeared in one game with the Threshers, playing five innings at shortstop. At the plate, he went 1-for-2, hitting a double to go along with a walk and one strikeout. It was certainly an encouraging debut, and the Phillies are ready to see him against stiffer competition.
As shared by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com on X, Miller is already moving on from Clearwater. He is set to play with Double-A Reading, being transferred to that level by the organization, and being dropped right into the middle of a playoff race.
The Fightin Phils have six games remaining in their regular season against the Erie Seawolves. Reading has a 3.5-game lead in the second-half standings and is 3.5 games behind the Somerset Yankees in the overall standings.
It will be nice for Miller to get some meaningful playing time with Reading. They are fighting for a playoff spot, with a Magic Number of 4. If they qualify for the postseason, they will host the Hartford Yard Goats on Sept. 15.
The deeper the Fighting Phils go in the playoffs, the more playing time Miller will get. At this point, receiving reps is the most important thing for him so that he can make up for lost time. The organization is planning to send him to the Arizona Fall League so that he can get some more game action in before heading into the offseason.
The Phillies announced that Aidan Miller (No. 2 Phillies prospect, No. 61 prospect in MLB) has been transferred to Double-A Reading.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 8, 2026
Hopefully, he is able to put this back ailment behind him and get his career back on track. Coming into spring training, he was viewed as a player who could help Philadelphia at the Major League level.
Miller was coming off a very productive 2025 campaign between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He stole 59 bases with 14 home runs, looking like a new-age version of the team’s current shortstop, Trea Turner.
The back injury derailed those plans, but with Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm both set to hit free agency this winter, and Trea Turner struggling mightily with the glove at shortstop, Miller could be part of the plans in the Big Leagues in 2027.
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