The first time Tyler Spangler swung a bat on the field this season was last month at Major League Baseball’s annual draft combine. Sidelined by an unspecified back injury throughout his senior season in high school, Spangler’s stock had dropped.The Phillies interviewed him. They reviewed medical records that Spangler was required to submit to the league as a combine attendee. They went to a workout Spangler had at De La Salle (Calif.) High a week later on June 30.And when the 18-year-old shortstop was still there when the Phillies picked at No. 36, that was enough. The Phillies selected Spangler, a somewhat ironic pick in 2026 because one of their best prospects has been sidelined by a back injury all season. Aidan Miller might not play in a minor-league game this season. But the Phillies believe Spangler will be on the field at some point this summer. (Provided the two sides agree on a signing bonus.) Spangler has been cleared to return to action, said Brian Barber, the team’s amateur scouting director.“Any type of time a player has an injury, there’s always pause,” Barber said. “There’s a lot of things that go into that. But we have an extensive medical review on the player and just felt comfortable taking him. We’ve looked at everything that there is to look at there and felt completely comfortable taking the player.”This was the latest the Phillies had made their first selection in the amateur draft since 2012, when they picked Shane Watson 40th. The club was penalized 10 spots in the draft order this year for exceeding the luxury tax in successive seasons.So, given the inherent risk of picking so late, it might have prompted the Phillies to take a bigger swing. The 36th pick comes with a $2.76 million slot value, and Spangler will command a much higher bonus than that despite not having played a single game during his senior season.He is committed to Stanford University. He is being advised by Boras Corporation. And, once the Phillies took Spangler, it affected the remainder of their first day of the draft. They selected four more players, several of whom will likely sign for below their slotted bonus values to accommodate Spangler.He’s 6-foot-3, a bigger frame for shortstop, but Barber said the club believes he can stick there. He is even taller than Miller, who came with similar questions when the Phillies picked him 27th overall in the 2023 draft. Miller missed a chunk of his senior season because of a hamate injury.Spangler, a left-handed hitter, has gains to make. He probably would have gone higher had he played during his senior year.“We think it’s just in a really advanced 18-year-old swing,” Barber said. “The swing, the path is just perfect to be able to add to his power game as well. It’s a hit-first (profile) with a really good feel for the power in the future.”But he did not play, and he was available at No. 36 for a reason. When asked what the actual back injury was, Barber said: “I’m not going to get into that.” There were additional questions about Spangler beyond the medical situation. The baseball team at De La Salle was suspended for five games to begin the 2026 season for what the school called “violations of school policy, team rules and code of conduct.” While the school never provided specifics, the punishment was believed to be tied to hazing incidents.Going into the draft, multiple league sources said several teams had makeup questions about Spangler. The Phillies looked into it, Barber said, and ostensibly this was something they asked about during the private combine interview.“I mean, there’s been work that’s been done,” Barber said. “The high school gets in trouble for a hazing incident. But, I mean, there was nothing to do with Tyler on that.”Spangler could honor his Stanford commitment, but the Phillies are believed to have secured enough additional bonus pool money to devote to his bonus.Because Spangler did not play all year, the Phillies will ease him into action should he sign. They are conservative with all of their picks in their first year of pro ball. “We are hoping to see him on the field in games at some point this season,” Barber said. Maybe that’s in affiliated ball. Maybe not.There remains no clarity on Miller’s future. He was diagnosed with discogenic pain and facet inflammation in the lumbar spine. He has not swung a bat since February. He underwent a minimally invasive procedure called a radiofrequency ablation of the facet joints on June 5. The Phillies set a “goal to return to game activity in six to eight weeks.” More than four weeks after the procedure, the team said Miller continues to progress in his rehab as intended.Jul 12, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms