The latest Aidan Miller update is supposed to make Phillies fans feel better. It kind of does. Hearing that the organization’s top prospect has resumed swinging a bat is obviously better than hearing he is still completely shut down. After a start to the Triple-A season that was hijacked by a recurring lower back issue, any forward movement is important. But the problem with this update is that it skips past the part that matters most for the Phillies’ 2026 plans.
The bigger issue is Miller getting back on the field and starting to build real experience at third base. It seems to be glossed over, and it’s something that should make Phillies fans pump the brakes on the more exciting call-up fantasies.
Encouraging Aidan Miller update still leaves Phillies without a timeline
Todd Zolecki reported that Dave Dombrowski said Miller has started swinging again, but there is still no timetable for his return. Zolecki also noted that Miller came into camp hoping to play well enough at shortstop and third base to push himself into the midseason conversation, especially with Alec Bohm headed toward free agency after the season. Instead, Miller never got into a Grapefruit League game at all.
We can talk ourselves into the bat all day long. Miller is talented enough that people were always going to dream big, especially when he gets mentioned in the same breath as names like JJ Wetherholt, Kevin McGonigle, and Konnor Griffin.
Unlike the more contact-driven profiles tied to Wetherholt and McGonigle, Miller’s appeal is the louder power and athletic upside, which is exactly why he feels like one of the few position-player prospects in this system who could actually change something in the near future. So when Bohm’s long-term fit gets questioned, of course Miller’s name comes up.
What is not easy is dropping a kid into the middle of a pennant race at a position he still has not meaningfully developed for this exact moment.
Before the season, Miller had only played shortstop as a pro, so getting him work elsewhere in 2026 made sense given the Phillies’ roster picture.
Still, this is a positive update. We can’t pretend otherwise. A bat in his hands is better than a bat on the rack. But the Phillies need him healthy enough to resume the right baseball activities.
That means playing games and getting real work at third base, not just theoretical plans about it.
Until that part starts happening, every encouraging update is still missing the most important element for the Phillies.