SARASOTA, Fla. — Jose Rijo showed up at camp Thursday saying he's ready to go. The arm feels fine. He's in good shape. And he has that classic Rijo attitude.

        The reason he was four days late? He was trying to help other players get out of the Dominican Republic under stricter visa rules.

        “Dominican players don't have problems with Visa,” he said. “They just don't want to leave home without American Express.”

        Rijo, the 36-year-old wonder of modern medicine, jumped right in with the other pitchers upon his arrival. He threw for eight minutes off the mound.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Rijo on his frist day at spring training. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        “I've been pitching,” he said. “I've got no excuses.”

        Rijo has been working out at his baseball academy in the Dominican. Vladimir Guerrero and Raul Mondesi were among the big-leaguers working out there.

        The big-leaguers played games against Reds minor-leaguers. Rijo pitched for the minor-league team.

        “We've got to make it fair,” he said.

        Rijo returned to the Reds last season after being out of baseball for almost six years. He pitched in 13 games for the Reds and had a 2.12 ERA over 17 innings.

        “My comeback is over,” he said. “Now it's time to pitch, to compete. If I can't help this team, I don't deserve to be here.”

        Rijo is in camp on a minor-league contract. With probably nine spots taken, Rijo is on the bubble as far as making the team. If he doesn't, he'll go home happy. He won't go to the minors and try to make it back to the Reds.

        “I have two choices,” he said. “I can make the team and pitch, or I can go home and run my academy. If I go with Plan A or Plan B, it will work out great.”

        Rijo's best chance to make the team is probably as a reliever. He says relieving or starting are fine with him. “At my age, I don't have a choice,” he said.

        Rijo did throw 85 pitches in a start in the Dominican Winter League. But Rijo ended winter ball with an ERA over 10.00 and shut it down after only four starts. That led people to assume he had pushed the comeback too far.

        “I completed my program,” he said. “It wasn't because I was getting my butt kicked — I was, but that wasn't the reason. I needed a rest. I was mentally tired.”

        Reds manager Bob Boone has no specific role in mind for Rijo.

        “We have to see where he's at,” Boone said.

        Rijo's biggest step will be throwing on back-to-back days to be a functioning member of the bullpen.

        “That's no problem,” he said. “I can do that now. I threw three, four innings in winter ball, then threw on the side the next day.”

        PITCHERS CLOSE:

        The Reds' trio of surgically repaired pitchers — John Riedling, Scott Williamson and Seth Etherton — threw for the third time Thursday.

        “They were really good,” Boone said. “Riedling is a little behind the other two. That's because he didn't throw off the mound until he got here.”

        None is quite ready to join the rest of the pitchers.

        “They're close,” Boone said. “We'll see probably in a couple of weeks.”

        Williamson was throwing at 80, 85 percent — only 9 1/2 months after Tommy John surgery.

        JUNIOR FUN:

        Ken Griffey Jr. had a prediction Thursday: “We're going to lead the league in runs because nobody's going to want to stop at third and talk to (Tim) Foli.”

        Foli, the third-base coach, is very talkative.

        FULL SQUAD:

        The first full-squad workout is today. It really will be a split-squad workout.

        The pitchers will follow the routine they've been on since they opened camp Sunday and will work out at 10 a.m.

        The position players will work out at 12:30 p.m. after physicals.

        66 OF 70:

        All but three players had reported as of Thursday afternoon. Still missing were Juan Castro, Wilton Guerrero, Juan Encarnacion and Jackson Melian. They had until midnight to report.

        RIJO ON PINEDA:

        Luis Pineda, the pitcher obtained in the Dmitri Young deal from Detroit, worked out with Rijo in the offseason.

        Rijo's scouting report on Pineda, a 23-year-old right-hander: “He's got great stuff, great curveball, great fastball. He's going to be tough when he learns to pitch.”

        Rijo, who's listed at 6 feet 1, 178 pounds, added 10 to 15 pounds.

        “It's the first time he's ever really worked out,” Reds general manager Jim Bowden said.

        SORRY:

        Something you rarely hear around the batting cage: “I'm sorry. I didn't try to hit that out.” That was Sean Casey's comment after sending one over the fence Thursday.

Griffey, Reds have quiet time hushing Reese SULLIVAN: Casey has an appetite for results Reds notebook Baseball notebook

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