It can be a surgical intervention that is a lot less straightforward than knees or TJ too. Also not really up to the team!
I've always found it slightly more baffling that they are so conservative about MRIs though. That's also correct process if you are a civilian and you or your insurance company are paying for it, but for a pro athlete and wealthy baseball team aggressive diagnostics don't seem like a big deal.
Update: he's swinging a bat. (And of course the HIPAA thing is BS, unless the player doesn't want them to release information.)
https://www.mlb.com/phillies/news/phillies-top-prospect-aidan-miller-back-injury?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
Nobody is providing a timetable for Miller’s return to Triple-A, which is understandable only in that backs are tricky, this is a recurring issue and there is no reason to rush him until he is absolutely healthy and ready to play.
Dombrowski said he couldn’t say what the Phillies have learned about Miller’s back that has the organization optimistic about his long-term health. He declined to say if Miller received injection therapy to aid in his recovery, citing HIPAA.
“We’re just happy with his progress,” Dombrowski said. “He’s happy with his progress. We’re with him every single day. We watch him, we treat him. He’s doing good right now. But it’s one of those things. You don’t just go from swinging a bat one day like this, then play in a game today. You’re taking your time.”
But the Phillies expect to see Miller play at some point.
“Oh yeah,” Dombrowski said. “For sure, for sure. Oh yes.”
