PORTLAND (AP) – Maine’s highest court says the Houston Astros are on the hook for medical bills for a farm club player who never played a game in the Pine Tree State.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously Thursday that Maine workers’ compensation law applies because Eric Cavers signed his player contract in 2004 at his home in Otisfield, Maine, and remained a resident of the state at the time of his injury.

Within a month of signing, Cavers injured his shoulder on a throw to second while playing catcher for a minor league affiliate of the Astros based in Greeneville, Tenn.

After the injury, he ended up getting arthroscopic surgery against the advice of the team’s doctor.

At stake was $5,000 to $10,000 in medical bills, but the Astros were more concerned about the issue of the appropriateness of trying the case in Maine than the actual amount of the money, said Lindsey Morrill, an attorney representing the team.

The Astros believe it makes more sense to litigate in places where it has teams instead of states where the players live, she said.

Cavers, who grew up in Otisfield, graduated from Oxford Hills Regional High School and attended Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire on scholarship before being drafted by the Astros.

After his shoulder injury, Cavers was put on the disabled list and flown to Houston to be evaluated by team doctors, who recommended conservative treatment and rest.

Later, after continuing to experience pain, he obtained a second opinion from a doctor in Boston, who diagnosed a torn labrum and advised surgery.

Cavers continued through the next two seasons to play for Astros affiliates in Troy, N.Y., and Lexington, Ky., before returning to Maine to work as a carpenter.

Cavers’ phone number is unlisted, and his lawyer didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

AP-ES-10-30-08 1615EDT

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