HOUSTON — A federal appeals court yesterday refused to reinstate a defamation lawsuit Roger Clemens filed against his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, who claims he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone more than a dozen times.

In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a Houston federal district judge’s dismissal last year of most of Clemens’ claims against McNamee.