GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO)-- "How are my sunglasses?" Ryan Kibler asked.

"They're fine," replied Brian Rike.

A few seconds prior to this exchange Grand Junction Rockies' Pitching Coach Ryan Kibler was hit in the right eye with an errant ball during warmups.

"It was curveball," Rike said on Friday, the day after the incident happened. It was Rike - who's nickname is 'The Experiment - who had thrown the ball that left Kibler with a nasty, swollen right eye on Friday.

In reality it was a freak accident.

"I was playing catch with Tony Seise and [Patrick Johnson] and Brian Rike [were] playing catch next to me," Kibler explained.

"I was 10 feet away. I should've been in the clear. But, I guess Rike caught his cleat in the ground, lost his balance, and threw [the ball]."

That was when the misguided curveball ricocheted off the grass and aimed for Coach Kibler.

"He felt horrible. I made sure he felt horrible," laughed Kibler. "I told him he wouldn't see any action in the game until the swelling went away.

"I've got proof that 'The Experiment' is still an experiment," joked Kibler.