Philadelphia Phillies prospect Aidan Miller has put the mystery around his Arizona Fall League plans to bed.
On Tuesday, when the Phillies released their AFL roster, the 2023 first-round pick was nowhere to be found, an odd omission for a player who has spent most of 2026 sidelined by injury. A few hours later, though, Miller made it clear he is still headed to the fall circuit - just not before he handles another assignment first. He’ll stay with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils for their postseason run, then move on to the Surprise Saguaros once that’s done.
The detour makes sense once the full picture comes into view. Miller has been out for much of the season because of a mysterious back injury, but he did manage to get back on the field at the very end of the minor league regular season, appearing in four games.
That return was a welcome sight after a year that looked lost for the 22-year-old. And it also explains why the initial AFL roster release caught so many Phillies fans off guard.
If anything, the fall league seemed like the obvious next step for a player in need of reps. Instead, Miller’s path runs through the Double-A playoffs first.
There’s another wrinkle to his return, too: Miller won’t open the postseason at shortstop. He’s set to start at third base for Reading, and it’s his first time playing the position in the minor leagues.
Aidan Miller will start at third base for Reading in the Double-A playoffs tonight. It’s his first time playing third in the minor leagues.
That could be a sign the Phillies want to see what he looks like at the hot corner going forward. It could also simply be about putting the best defensive alignment on the field, especially with Bryan Rincon handling shortstop for Reading this season. Either way, it’s a notable shift for a player whose defensive home has long been short.
Miller’s profile has had Phillies fans buzzing for years. The Florida high school shortstop landed with the club at No. 27 overall three years ago, and in 242 minor league games he has shown the kind of all-around ability that keeps him high on prospect lists: a .266/.384/.436 line, 95 extra-base hits and 87 stolen bases.
He has also shown he can handle shortstop at the major league level, a useful trait with Trea Turner locked in as the incumbent there.
For now, though, the bigger story is simpler than all the roster confusion: Miller is healthy again and back on the field. That alone was far from guaranteed not long ago. Whether he’s playing in the Double-A playoffs or the Arizona Fall League, the Phillies at least have their top prospect moving in the right direction again.
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