updated 12:58 a.m. ET July 28, 2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Royals outfielder Emil Brown hit a television reporter near the eye with a pellet from a small plastic gun in the Kansas City clubhouse Friday afternoon.

A team spokesman said Brown didn’t mean to shoot KMBC sports reporter Karen Kornacki with the plastic pellet gun. Brown started in left field Friday night against the Texas Rangers.

“It was certainly an accident,” Royals spokesman David Holtzman said. “He wasn’t shooting at anybody.”

Kornacki was interviewing shortstop Tony Pena Jr. before the game when she felt the pellet hit near her left eye, said Gary Roberts, KMBC’s assistant news director. Kornacki ended the interview and left the locker room immediately.

“I was just messing around in here,” Brown said. “I feel terrible about it. Karen is one of the nicest persons that I’ve met, especially as far as the media is concerned. This happening to her, I feel absolutely awful about it.”

Brown said he tried to call Kornacki to apologize but was unable to reach her.

An assistant team trainer treated Kornacki and gave her an ice pack. The station said that Kornacki, who has been with the ABC affiliate for more than 20 years, shattered her contact and scratched her eye when the pellet hit.

“I talked to Karen. I’m glad she’s OK. That’s all that matters to me right now,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said. “I was concerned about her first of all. I did talk to Brownie too.”

Royals spokesman Toby Cook said the team apologized and was investigating.

“We’re terribly sorry it happened,” Cook said. “I don’t know actually what happened. I wasn’t there. The powers that be are looking into it.”

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