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Diamond Sports Group’s 14-month-long saga through bankruptcy court will extend a bit further. Diamond, which provides regional broadcasts throughout the country under the name Bally Sports, pushed its confirmation hearing back by about six weeks, from June 18 to July 29 and 30, according to a notice filed on Thursday.

The confirmation hearing, scheduled for 10 a.m. CT in Houston, will essentially determine whether Diamond will emerge from Chapter 11 reorganization, at which point MLB, the NBA and the NHL might finally gain some much-desired clarity with many of their regional sports networks.

A representative from Diamond said pushing the confirmation hearing back allows the company more time to negotiate deals with the NBA and the NHL and to provide financial projections that reflect its being unable to secure a new contract with Comcast, its third-largest distributor. But the delay inches the hearing closer to the start of the subsequent NBA and NHL seasons after attorneys from both leagues expressed a strong desire to avoid another year of uncertainty during last week’s status conference.

“We now have certainty on the vast majority of our principal revenue streams, which is beneficial for our team and league partners and their loyal fans, following multi-year agreements with 10 of our top 12 distributors, including our recently announced deal with Fubo,” a spokesperson for Diamond Sports Group wrote in a statement. “We have determined to move the hearing a few extra weeks to focus on reaching rights agreements on mutually beneficial terms with our league and team partners and to finalize an updated business plan well in advance of the upcoming NBA and NHL seasons.”

Diamond has secured deals with three of its top four distributors in Charter, DirecTV and Cox, but there has been no indication that a deal with Comcast will ultimately materialize, a development an MLB lawyer called “devastating” in bankruptcy court on May 15. The lack of a new deal prompted Comcast to pull Bally Sports’ local MLB broadcasts off the air at the start of May, leaving fans throughout the country without the ability to watch their teams. Those games are blacked out locally on the league’s streaming arm, MLB.tv, due to exclusivity provisions.

Diamond maintains the rights for 12 baseball teams, but the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers are under contracts that extend only through the 2024 season. Diamond also held the rights for 16 NBA teams and 12 NHL teams, but those deals expired at the end of the 2023-24 seasons.

In its filing, Diamond also moved voting and objection deadlines for its restructuring plan back from June 5 to July 18.

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Phils expect Turner back Monday after 6 weeks out

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Phils expect Turner back Monday after 6 weeks out

BALTIMORE — The Philadelphia Phillies expect to have star shortstop Trea Turner back Monday, according to manager Rob Thomson.

Thomson said Sunday that Turner would be activated the following day “unless something weird happens.” He hasn’t played since May 3 because of a left hamstring strain.

Turner hit .343 with 10 stolen bases in 33 games before going on the injured list.

The Phillies have kept right on rolling without him. They led the National League East by eight games entering Sunday’s series finale at Baltimore.

Philadelphia hosts San Diego on Monday in its first home game since June 5 — immediately before the team traveled to London for a couple of games against the New York Mets. The Phillies followed that trip with series at Boston and Baltimore.

“It seems like we’ve been gone for a month,” Thomson said.

Edmundo Sosa has played well in Turner’s absence. He hit his fifth homer of the season Saturday.

“He’s huge. I think for the last couple of years, probably the baseball world looked at him as a utility man. Now they’re looking at him like a shortstop,” Thomson said. “So his value is very high right now, as it should be because he’s played very well.”

Sosa figures to have a role going forward as an infield backup — and possibly in the outfield.

“If he’s not playing every day, there’s nothing wrong with getting him some outfield work,” Thomson said. “Just to see what it looks like, just to get him comfortable.”

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Jays’ Bichette (calf) remains out vs. Guardians

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Jays' Bichette (calf) remains out vs. Guardians

Two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette will miss his second straight game Sunday due to right calf soreness as the Toronto Blue Jays wrap up a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa replaced Bichette at shortstop this weekend, while left fielder Davis Schneider returned to Toronto’s starting lineup after a one-game absence.

Bichette, 26, is hitting .237 with four homers and 28 RBIs in 66 games this season.

A second-round draft pick in 2016 and an All-Star in 2021 and 2023, Bichette is hitting .293 with 93 homers and 340 RBIs in 595 games since making his debut with Toronto in 2019.

Schneider, 25, is hitting .230 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 63 games this season.

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Cubs’ Hendricks earns starting job back vs. Giants

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Cubs' Hendricks earns starting job back vs. Giants

CHICAGO — Veteran Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks will start Wednesday’s game against the Giants, the team announced Sunday.

It will be Hendricks’ first start since giving up eight runs in a May outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has made five relief appearances since then, including three scoreless ones this month.

“We’re down pitchers right now,” manager Craig Counsell said before announcing the move.

The Cubs lost two starters just this week, including Ben Brown to a neck injury and Jordan Wicks to an oblique strain. Wicks came out of Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals after 1⅔ innings, giving way to Hendricks who threw 4⅓ shutout innings in emergency duty.

Despite the 3-0 loss, that outing, along with several other recent ones, earned Hendricks another chance at starting.

“In a lot of ways, Kyle continues to impress you even though he’s had a tough go of it so far,” Counsell said. “He’s worried about the things he can control.”

Hendricks, 34, was demoted to the bullpen after struggling throughout his first seven starts of the season as his ERA ballooned to over 12.00. Those struggles led to speculation that the longest-tenured Cubs player might lose his roster spot, but pitching injuries have continued to pile up for Chicago, giving the right-hander more opportunities.

The team is also down relievers Yency Almonte, Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay.

It’s unclear how long Hendricks will pitch against the Giants after spending the past month in the bullpen, but the Cubs are hopeful he will just continue to get outs as he is coming off arguably his best appearance of the season.

“Kyle pitched wonderfully,” Counsell said after Friday’s game. “Gave us a chance to win.”

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