A federal judge in Houston rejected Roger Clemens’ bid to revive some of his defamation claims against Brian McNamee, clearing the way for the former trainer to file his own suit against the disgraced pitcher.

U.S. District Court Judge Keith Ellison on Tuesday reaffirmed his earlier ruling against Clemens. If Clemens “believes that the federal investigators or the Mitchell Commission overstepped the bounds of the law, he is free to bring suit against those enemies, subject to possible immunity,” the judge said.