NEW YORK — Come Thursday, Comcast subscribers who have been without Twins baseball for the past three months will have access to Bally Sports North once again.

Twins games have been inaccessible to Comcast subscribers since the beginning of May. But on Monday, Diamond Sports Group and Comcast announced they have reached a new carriage agreement to distribute Diamond’s regional sports networks, including Bally Sports North.

“We are pleased that Minnesota Twins baseball on Bally Sports North will again be available to Comcast and Midco subscribers throughout Twins Territory,” Twins spokesman Dustin Morse said. “We appreciate Comcast and Diamond Sports Group working to reach a deal that restores television access on this important carrier. We thank Twins fans for their patience, and we look forward to the shared excitement of our postseason push these next two months.”

Starting on Thursday, subscribers to Comcast Xfinity’s Ultimate TV package will gain access to BSN and will once again be able to stream content through the Bally Sports app.

A Comcast sportsperson said viewership information shows that a majority of their customers who are watching the RSNs already have that level of service, which would mean there is no change for them.

The channel was previously available under the Popular TV plan, a smaller, less expensive package. The Ultimate TV Package is an extra $20 per month, though Comcast is offering a three-month promotion for customers who had not been at that level at no additional charge, which would take Twins fans through the end of the regular season.

The Twins currently have a one-year deal with Bally Sports North, which will expire after this season.

Trade deadline nears

The trade deadline — set for 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday — is rapidly approaching, and the Twins have yet to make a move, despite a busy past few days across the league.

Star shortstop Carlos Correa said earlier this month that he’d already been offering his two cents to manager Rocco Baldelli as the second-place Twins seek ways to improve their roster as they make a bid for a playoff spot.

“I feel like our lineup is really good, especially when we’re healthy,” Correa said. “I think we’re a top-three lineup in baseball. Definitely, everybody needs pitching.”

The rotation is the top need. But the Twins, who slashed their payroll last offseason, are not likely to take on much salary in a potential trade, which could limit their options.

“If (president of baseball operations) Derek (Falvey) and (general manager) Thad (Levine) add someone to this team or subtract someone from this team to make us a better team, then we’re going to war with that group of guys,” catcher Ryan Jeffers said. “You’ve just got to trust that the interest of the team, the overall interest to make us a better team, a more competitive team in October is what Derek and Thad are going after.”

Miranda OK

Jose Miranda was out on the field taking balls from infield coach Tony Diaz before Monday night’s game. The infielder was not in the lineup, but it was a positive sign after he took a 95 mph to the head a day earlier and immediately exited the game.

Miranda passed preliminary concussion tests on Sunday and on Monday, Baldelli said he was “doing really well.” The Twins planned to have him get back on his feet and put him through a workout on Monday to see how he reacted and came out of it.

“I think it’s probably the best possible outcome after watching him get hit the way that he did,” Baldelli said.

Briefly

The Twins promoted top prospect Walker Jenkins from Class-A Fort Myers to Class-A Advanced Cedar Rapids. The 19-year-old, whom the Twins drafted fifth overall last year, was hitting .274 with a .817 OPS this season at Fort Myers. … Rookie David Festa, who is from nearby New Jersey, will start for the Twins on Tuesday. Festa said he expected lots of friends and family members to be in attendance.

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A man was shot and robbed of his e-bike at a busy St. Paul bus shelter over the weekend, according to Metro Transit police.

He was initially in critical condition, but had stabilized as of Monday, said Nikki Muehlhausen, the department’s public information officer.

The man was targeted for his electric bike, which the suspect made off with, according to Muehlhausen.

Officers responded to the shooting about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. It happened near Snelling Avenue and Spruce Tree Drive, a block from University Avenue.

The victim was taken to Regions Hospital. No one was under arrest as of Monday afternoon and the Metro Transit police investigation is ongoing.

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When Christi Krautbauer was pregnant with her now 9-year-old son, she and her husband had to cut corners to provide diapers for their newborn.

The situation made her ask, “What would we do if we couldn’t buy diapers?” In 2014, a year after giving birth, Krautbauer got involved with the Diaper Bank of Minnesota and is now the chair of the board of directors for the organization, helping families struggling to afford diapers fill the need.

“We’re really focused on making sure there’s an awareness that diaper need exists,” Krautbauer said.

On Monday, volunteers loaded wooden pallets with diapers ranging in sizes from preemie to pull ups at a St. Paul warehouse for the Diaper Bank of Minnesota’s diaper distribution event. In 2010 the organization donated 350,000 diapers and this year it is expecting to give away more than 2 million.

As the numbers continue to grow, sometimes the bank has an overflow of diapers. Diaper distribution events such as Monday’s allow the bank to provide Twin Cities organizations outside of their 35 partner organizations with diapers to distribute to families in need.

“The need never stops, and to know that we can fill it is really rewarding,” volunteer chair Amanda Charles said.

State funding boost

While the organization receives funding and diaper supplies from individual and corporate donations as well as community grants, last year the Minnesota Legislature awarded more than $1 million to the Diaper Bank. More money meant that more diapers could be purchased and a larger warehouse would be necessary. They recently moved from a storage unit in Roseville into a warehouse in the Wycliff building in St. Paul’s Creative Enterprise Zone.

They also began seeking new partnerships with organizations beyond the Twin Cities.

“We find ourselves in a position where we have more diapers than we’re able to distribute to our partners alone,” executive director Deirdre Kanzer said, “and we know that the need is out there.”

The Diaper Bank of Minnesota has national partnerships with The National Diaper Bank Network and Baby 2 Baby, which allows them to purchase diapers from large corporations at a discounted rate. Companies like Huggies will also donate extra diapers to the nonprofit when available.

Other ways the organization receives diapers are from community hosted diaper drives, which people often have during events like baby showers or within faith led groups. Krautbauer encourages anyone interested in supporting the initiative to host their own diaper drive.

“As you spread the word, people want to help,” Krautbauer said.

Basic needs

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, one in two families struggles with diaper need. That’s close to 125,000 Minnesota children who are diaper insecure.

Krautbauer said that with the diaper need, larger issues should be addressed like providing social safety networks to help families meet basic needs and increase funding for social services like Women Infants and Children. She said people are often surprised when she tells them that WIC and food stamps don’t pay for diapers.

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“Often diaper need goes hand-in-hand with food insecurity,” Krautbauer said. “If you’re trying to decide how to spread that budget, if we can solve this need, your family also now has a little bit more resources available for food or other basic needs.”

With Monday’s distribution event more than 225 families in Minnesota will receive diapers for their children, helping fulfill the organization’s mission of “keeping baby bottoms covered.”

It’s volunteers who do the physical labor to help distribute diapers to organizations, who then give them to families. Krautbauer said the bank is always looking for more volunteers.

“It’s just a very warm place to volunteer,” volunteer Kristy Mazurek, of Coon Rapids, said.

To find out how to volunteer, donate and more, visit www.diaperbankmn.org.

Lakeville’s Regan Smith entered the 100 backstroke at the Olympics as the event’s world record holder and, thus, the swimmer to beat.

That remains true through the event semifinals, though her “rival” is directly in her rearview mirror.

After coasting through the heats in the morning with a time of 58.45 seconds Monday in Paris, Smith cranked it up a notch in the semifinals, touching the wall in 57.97 seconds to win her semifinal. That was the top time in the round, two-hundredths of a second faster than Australia’s Kaylee McKeown.

McKeown is the defending Olympic gold medalist in the event, while Smith claimed bronze in 2021. The two have traded the world record back and forth over the years, with Smith regaining the mark at the Olympic Trials, when she turned in a time of 57.13 seconds.

McKeown edged Smith for gold at the 2023 World Championships.

Smith’s U.S. teammate, Katharine Berkoff, had the third-fastest time in the semifinals, finishing behind only McKeown in her semifinal with a time of 58.27 seconds. Finishing in second in Smith’s semifinal was Canadian Kylie Masse, who claimed the silver in this event in 2021.

Smith is in search of her first Olympic gold medal. The 100 backstroke final is set for 1:56 p.m. CDT on Tuesday. It’s Smith’s first final of the Paris Games, with relay swims, the 200 backstroke and the 200 butterfly still to come later this week.