(CN) - A Houston Astros pitcher can sue the team for workers' compensation benefits in his home state, the Maine Supreme Court ruled. Eric Cavers of Otisfield, Maine, was drafted as a catcher by the Astros in 2004. Shortly after he started playing, he tore a muscle in his shoulder while trying to throw out a runner at second base.
The Astros released him in 2006, and he has since returned to Maine to work as a carpenter. He continued to experience shoulder pain and filed for workers' compensation.
Justice Alexander ruled that the Astros' signing of Cavers in Maine, along with the players' permanent residency in the state, is enough to make Cavers eligible for workers' compensation.
"By negotiating and contracting with Cavers in Maine, the Astros transacted business in the state," Alexander wrote.
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