BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AMERICAN LEAGUE : Gun Fired in Comiskey Stands

A man playing with a gun during the White Sox game Wednesday night at Comiskey Park accidentally shot his wife in the leg and injured himself, according to police and White Sox officials.

“I’m told that a man shot his wife, and it was an accidental shooting,” said Billy Davis, a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department.

The White Sox identified the man as Marine Lt. Rodolfo Diaz and the woman as Brenda Diaz. Diaz apparently told police he was playing with a handgun in his coat pocket when it went off, wounding him in the hand and his wife in the left thigh.

*

Frank Thomas, sidelined because of an arm injury, should be back this weekend and ready for the playoffs against Toronto, White Sox Manager Gene Lamont said.

The first baseman’s injury was diagnosed by team doctors as a bruise and slight bursitis in his left triceps. Thomas injured his non-throwing arm when he banged into a fence trying to make a catch Sept. 19 at Oakland.

Thomas, batting .316 with 41 home runs and 126 RBIs, is not expected to be able to play until Saturday.

“We’re relieved it’s not serious,” Lamont said. “In a day or two, it should be fixed and we’ll feel a lot better about it.”

*

The Milwaukee Brewers’ final home game in a woeful last-place season had a fitting visitor when a skunk scooted across the outfield at County Stadium in the fifth inning.