After months of starts and stops for Aidan Miller, he and the Phillies are hoping a procedure he will undergo on Friday will finally resolve the problem. Miller is scheduled for a radio frequency nerve ablation procedure. The official diagnosis is discogenic pain and facet inflammation in the lumbar area of his spine.
Discogenic pain is pain that originates from a damaged or degenerative disc, indicating that there is in fact structural damage to Miller’s spine. A radio frequency ablation temporarily “kills” the nerve where the pain is originating from. The nerve will regenerate over time and can require the procedure to be repeated. Generally though, it gives some relief from the pain for 18 months or more.
Miller missed time during the final week of last season because of the back issue, which had not been disclosed prior to that time. Even then, the Phillies were quiet about why their top prospect missed the final week of the Triple-A season.
The Phillies said that Miller will rest for a week following the procedure and will then be allowed to begin workouts. The hope is that he can return to playing games in six to eight weeks.
When he reported to Spring Training, Miller was cleared to play and was expected to play in Grapefruit League games. The pain returned after he started preparing for games and the Phillies shut him down. It has been a recurring cycle of rest and workouts going well, but with the pain returning when he resumes baseball activities.
“He just can’t get to the point where he’s going 100 percent on the field and swinging the bat,” said Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who spoke to reporters prior to Wednesday’s game against the Padres. “He’s feeling good, he’s feeling fine, but we just haven’t been able to get him over that next step. He feels some pain.”
Miller, who turns 22 next week, spent most of last season with Double-A Reading prior to joining Triple-A Lehigh Valley last September. Between the two stops, Miller hit .264/.392/.433 and stole 59 bases. The Phillies hoped that Miller would be able to help at the major league level at some point this season. Plans were for him to transition from shortstop to third base, potentially replacing Alec Bohm either during the season or for 2027. Bohm is a free agent following the season.
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