The Philadelphia Phillies have experienced an up-and-down start to the 2026 MLB regular season. With a quarter of the season now in the books, The Athletic (subscription required) has released its “Wish You Were Here” edition of the weekly Power Rankings, highlighting one former player each team currently misses the most.
For the Phillies, that player is shortstop Aidan Miller. The 21-year-old is the organization’s top prospect but has yet to play this season due to a back injury.
Miller’s absence has been especially noticeable given the team’s lack of depth. While Philadelphia has performed well under interim manager Don Mattingly posting a 16-6 record since he took over their roster depth remains a concern. Third base, in particular, has been a glaring weakness. Alec Bohm struggled out of the gate, batting .151/.218/.208 with just four extra-base hits in April. Though he has since put together an 11-game hitting streak, his overall numbers for the season sit at .220/.280/.351 with 12 extra-base hits and a .631 OPS across 46 games.
Edmundo Sosa hasn’t provided much relief offensively either, managing a .228/.262/.342 slash line with five extra-base hits and a .604 OPS in 28 games.
Given these struggles, Miller would almost certainly have received a chance to play third base in the majors if healthy. Instead, he continues to recover from a back issue that has plagued him over the past few seasons.
In 116 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Miller slashed .264/.392/.433 with 14 home runs, 27 doubles, two triples, an .825 OPS, 82 runs scored, and 59 stolen bases. He finished 2025 on a strong note, recording 22 extra-base hits and an OPS above 1.100 over his final 36 games.
Mattingly recently provided an update, noting that Miller has begun light baseball activities. While there’s no official return timeline, his progress appears encouraging.
Given Philadelphia’s struggles at third base and Miller’s strong finish to the 2025 season, the Phillies are clearly missing what he could have brought to the lineup. If healthy, he would likely be getting a shot in the infield specifically at third base in the big leagues.
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